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CordenPharma Boosts Aseptic Fill-Finish Capacity to 500 Million Sterile Injectable Units Per Year

CordenPharma accelerates sterile injectable CDMO manufacturing expansion with €80 million multi-year investment in new facility and additional aseptic fill & finish lines

BASEL, Switzerland, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CordenPharma continues its ambitious long-term injectable CAPEX program at its FDA & EMA-approved Caponago (Milan), Italy site, reinforcing its position as a global leader in sterile injectable manufacturing. The expansion involves two key components to augment manufacturing capacity for sterile injectable drug products.

(CordenPharma Image) A graphic illustration of CordenPharma’s new 11,000 m² sterile manufacturing facility in Caponago, Italy, increasing the site footprint by greater than 50%.
(CordenPharma Image) A graphic illustration of CordenPharma’s new 11,000 m² sterile manufacturing facility in Caponago, Italy, increasing the site footprint by greater than 50%.

Firstly, the company has committed a multi-year €80 million investment into the future of injectable drug products, marking a significant milestone of that total with a €13 million acquisition of a new 11,000 m² commercial building and 26,000 m² of land, adjacent to its existing late-stage aseptic fill & finish manufacturing area. This expansion was finalized on 28 July 2026, increasing the site footprint by greater than 50%.

The new facility offers a blank canvas ideal for innovators seeking fit-for-purpose aseptic fill & finish CDMO outsourcing of their peptide, LNP, small molecule, biologic, and oligonucleotide-based injectable therapeutics, tailored to their specific production setups and requirements. The expanded capacity is a versatile foundation for the integration of additional manufacturing lines supporting a wide range of injectable formats including Pre-Filled Syringes (PFS), liquid or lyophilized vials, cartridges, and auto-injectors. Customers will also benefit from a single-site offering injectable solutions integrated with LNP manufacturing capabilities on the same campus at CordenPharma Caponago.

The space can accommodate a minimum of four aseptic fill & finish lines, four visual inspection lines, and four additional packaging lines, with options for customer-owned lines, large-scale lyophilization, and auto-injector assembly.

Secondly, over the past two years, CordenPharma has embarked on a series of strategic expansions at an existing operational area within its Caponago site that immediately contributes to the increased injectable capacity by adding two new aseptic fill & finish isolator lines. These include:

  • A clinical and small-scale commercial combo line from Bausch & Ströbel for Pre-Filled Syringes (PFS), vials, and cartridges.
  • A high-speed PFS & cartridge line from Syntegon, capable of producing >500,000 units per day.
  • Expansion of the automatic secondary packaging area for PFS, vials, and ampoules.
  • A doubling of analytical capacity to support growing project pipelines.

Completion of the new isolator lines is targeted for mid-2027 and 2028 respectively, ensuring CordenPharma remains at the forefront of sterility assurance and long-term compliance during sterile injectable manufacturing.

The investment in these new and expanded facilities underscores a proactive approach to addressing the global healthcare industry’s increasing need for specialized injectable manufacturing. With these combined investment milestones bolstering a landmark scale-up in production with a projected total capacity up to 500 million injectable units per year, CordenPharma is poised to support innovators across their injectable drug lifecycle from early-phase projects to large-scale commercial production.

This capacity surge helps meet the rising global demand for sterile injectable outsourcing across therapeutic areas such as oncology, obesity, diabetes and Inflammatory diseases with complex modalities such as peptide-based GLP-1 therapeutics, oligonucleotides, LNPs, biosimilars and other biologics.

The company’s customers will also gain valuable access to integrated solutions from drug substance to drug products, leveraging CordenPharma’s global facility network and expertise in manufacturing peptides (including oral peptide drug products), oligonucleotides, non-viral carriers such as LNPs, and small molecules, including both highly potent and non-potent APIs.

Dr. Michael Quirmbach, President & CEO of CordenPharma Group, commented: “The support of our shareholders, Astorg, underscores our commitment to advancing sterile injectable manufacturing at CordenPharma Caponago. This strategic investment strengthens our leadership in the manufacture of drug products using complex modalities and enhances our end-to-end supply capabilities to meet rising global demand for injectable outsourcing, ultimately enabling partners to bring vital drug products in key therapeutic areas to patients more efficiently.”

About CordenPharma

CordenPharma is a CDMO supporting and partnering with biotech and pharma innovators of complex modalities in the advancement of their drug development lifecycle. Harnessing the collective expertise of the teams across its globally integrated facility network, CordenPharma provides bespoke outsourcing services spanning the complete supply chain, from early clinical-phase development to commercialization.

With scientific expertise and partnership at its core, CordenPharma provides customers with high-value, end-to-end services with a strategic focus on Peptides, Small Molecules (both Highly Potent and Regular Potency), customized Lipid Excipients, Lipid NanoParticles (LNPs), sterile Injectables, and Oligonucleotides.

The CordenPharma Group is comprised of 13 facilities across Europe, North America and Asia with more than 3,500 employees. In the 2025 financial year, the organization generated sales of €960. In 2022, CordenPharma was acquired by Astorg – a leading Pan-European private equity firm with deep expertise in the healthcare sector – to accelerate its development and further strengthen its leadership in the CDMO space.

Please visit cordenpharma.com for more information I Follow CordenPharma on LinkedIn.

Midea SpaceMaster Series Built-in Oven – Master the Pizza Moments

BERLIN, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The kitchen has always been the heart of the home — where routines become traditions and recipes become signature dishes. Yet European home cooks have long accepted compromises: cramped interiors, uneven results, endless preheating. The new Midea SpaceMaster Series Built-in Oven eliminates these trade-offs, bringing one highly coveted experience directly home: the authentic pizza.

Most ovens max out around 250°C — suitable for a casserole, but falling short of what genuine pizza demands. Professional pizzerias fire at 350°C or higher, creating the blistered crust, leopard-spotted char, and airy-yet-crisp texture that defines a great pie. Until now, achieving this at home meant a backyard brick oven or settling for delivery.

The Midea SpaceMaster Series Built-in Oven changes the equation by pushing a full 350°C — a temperature rarely seen in home appliances. But heat alone isn’t enough. The oven pairs this intensity with a built-in Pizzaz stone, engineered to absorb and radiate heat directly into the dough, mimicking a traditional brick oven hearth. The result: a pizza that goes from raw dough to pizzeria-perfect in under three minutes — never soggy, never dry, always brilliant.

What makes this possible is an entirely rethought airflow architecture. A closed impeller fan delivers 4× the airflow speed of conventional ovens, while 28° angle vents ensure over 30% more even heat distribution. Every pizza emerges with consistent color, texture, and doneness from edge to center.

Its 0.2-second instant heat technology with Graphene Turbo Airflow makes preheating a non-event. You set it, and it’s ready.

Beyond pizza, the Midea SpaceMaster Series Built-in Oven offers 81 liters of capacity with four-layer cooking support — weekday dinners, weekend baking, or holiday feasts, all in one cycle. The full-glass door integrates seamlessly with cabinetry, while the Quiet-Close system ensures smooth, silent operation.

The Midea SpaceMaster Series Built-in Oven isn’t just a specification sheet brought to life; it’s a statement about what home cooking can be when your appliance finally matches your ambition.

Midea SpaceMaster Series Built-in Oven. Master the Pizza Moments.

ECOVACS Wins Two IDG Gold Awards at IFA Berlin 2026

BERLIN, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ECOVACS, a global company specializing in service robotics, has been honored with two Gold Awards at the 2026 IDG Global Product Technology Innovation Awards, announced during IFA Berlin, a leading consumer electronics and home appliance trade show. The dual accolades recognize ECOVACS’ innovation in extending intelligent cleaning solutions from indoor to outdoor applications and reinforce its technological leadership in the global smart service robot sector.

The ECOVACS WINBOT W2S PRO OMNI window-cleaning robot received the Window Cleaning Robot Innovation Gold Award for its breakthrough automated window care technologies, including intelligent frame detection, systematic deep cleaning and enhanced safety mechanisms that deliver reliable, hands-free window maintenance for modern households. Meanwhile, the ECOVACS T1000 4WD Pro smart robotic lawn mower claimed the Smart Edge Trimming Technology Innovation Gold Award, in recognition of its high-precision edge-trimming performance, four-wheel-drive mobility, all-terrain performance and intelligent path planning that adapt seamlessly to complex lawn layouts.

Established by IDG in 2014, the annual Global Product Technology Innovation Awards rank among the prominent honors in the global consumer electronics industry. Evaluated against rigorous criteria including technological innovation, user value and market impact, the awards are presented each year at IFA Berlin, spotlighting pioneering brands and showcasing their innovations to audiences in Europe and worldwide.

With nearly three decades of deep expertise in service robotics, ECOVACS continues to unlock new paradigms for multi-scenario intelligent living, extending its portfolio beyond indoor floor cleaning to professional-grade window care and autonomous lawn maintenance. These awards underscore ECOVACS’ sustained commitment to R&D and product innovation, and further strengthen its position in the global service-robotics market.

Prudential plc retains number two position in global MDRT ranking, with first-time qualifiers up 14% across Asia and Africa

Growth reflects Prudential’s continued investment in adviser development and career progression


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 September 2026 – Prudential plc (“Prudential”) has retained its No. 2 position among multinational companies in the 2026 Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) rankings. First-time qualifiers increased 14 per cent year-on-year, reflecting continued momentum in Prudential’s agency business and the impact of its strategy to build a more professional and productive agency force across Asia and Africa.

This momentum is reflected across Prudential’s markets:

  • Indonesia has held the No. 1 in-country ranking for more than a decade and continues to have the largest number of MDRT members in the market.
  • Hong Kong climbed three places in MDRT rankings to No. 3 globally and No. 2 in-country, with the second-highest number of Top of Table (TOT) and Court of Table (COT) qualifiers.
  • Singapore ranked No. 1 in-country for TOT qualifiers, with an 83.8 per cent MDRT member retention rate, and sits in the global top three. It also led the 2026 MDRT Culture of Excellence Awards, with 29 Agency Leader award recipients from a total of 68 winners worldwide.
  • In Africa, Prudential remains the only insurer represented in the MDRT Global Top 100 company rankings in the last three years, with Nigeria and Ghana each ranked No. 1 in-country.
  • In the Chinese Mainland, Prudential grew MDRT qualifiers 40 per cent year-on-year in the first half of 2026.

Prudential’s base of quality producers is driving year-on-year double-digit growth in new business profit per MDRT agent, as reported in its 2026 Half Year Results.

Pankaj Banerjee, Group Chief Agency Officer, Prudential plc, said: “Our agency transformation is gathering pace, and our direction is clear: we are building a higher-quality, more professional and more productive agency force, equipped to deliver the trusted advice our customers increasingly need, at every stage of their lives. The continued growth in first-time MDRT qualifiers reflects the progress we are making and the commitment of our advisers, agency leaders and colleagues to raising professional standards across the industry.”

As customer needs become more complex, particularly in health, protection and wealth planning, the demand for trusted, high-quality advice is rising. For Prudential, upholding agency excellence is about providing advisers access to learning, role models, communities and opportunities that help them progress and deliver better outcomes for customers.

This commitment is reflected in Prudential’s long-standing partnership with MDRT, which gives advisers access to a global professional community, learning opportunities and standards of excellence. At every stage of the adviser journey, Prudential continues to invest in attracting high-quality talent, strengthening capabilities and productivity. This includes equipping advisers with deeper wealth planning capabilities, insights and AI-enabled tools to meet evolving customer needs and drive sustained MDRT growth.

To accelerate this progress, Prudential recently established the MDRT Advisory Council, a Group-wide platform bringing together leading producers in 11 agency markets to share best practices, accelerate adviser growth and support advisers in their professional progression across the force.

Prudential’s commitment to adviser development was also reflected at the 2026 MDRT Global Conference in Sydney, where it was recognised as MDRT Premier Sponsor and joined by 400 of its advisers and agency leaders from across different markets.

As MDRT approaches its 100th anniversary, Prudential looks forward to continuing its partnership with MDRT with a focus on expanding development pathways, raising professional standards, and supporting the next generation of advisers to achieve their full potential.

Hashtag: #Prudentialplc

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

About Prudential plc

Prudential provides life and health insurance and asset management in Greater China, ASEAN, India and Africa. Prudential’s mission is to be the most trusted partner and protector for this generation and generations to come, by providing simple and accessible financial and health solutions. The business has dual primary listings on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX: 2378) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PRU). It also has a secondary listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX: K6S) and a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: PUK) in the form of American Depositary Receipts. It is a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Index and is also included for trading in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme and the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme.

Prudential is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc. a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, nor with The Prudential Assurance Company Limited, a subsidiary of M&G plc, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.

EURO Group Recognized at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2026 Regional Edition for Advancing Corporate Excellence Through Sustainable Growth


KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 September 2026 – EURO Group has been recognized under the Corporate Excellence category at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2026 Regional Edition, highlighting the organization’s commitment to building a resilient business foundation through strategic expansion, strong governance, and sustainable growth.

Established in 1976, EURO has grown into one of Malaysia’s leading office furniture providers, delivering innovative and functional workspace solutions to customers both locally and internationally. The Group’s business evolution continued in 2023 with its expansion into steel product trading and related businesses, a strategic move that strengthened its portfolio diversification and enhanced its long-term business resilience.

Driven by its philosophy of understanding customers’ businesses, EURO has built the “EURO” brand around trusted partnerships and a shared vision of creating workspaces that inspire productivity, innovation, and success. This commitment is supported by a governance framework that integrates sustainability considerations into strategic planning, risk management, and operational decision-making.

The Group’s focus on ethical business practices is reinforced through corporate governance policies that promote integrity, accountability, and responsible conduct across the organization. Supported by the Risk Management & Environmental, Social and Governance Committee, EURO continues to engage with key stakeholders and address sustainability priorities while identifying opportunities for continued growth.

EURO’s strategic approach has translated into strong business performance, with revenue for the financial year ended 30 June 2025 increasing by approximately 45.3% compared to the previous year, driven largely by growth in its steel-related products segment. This achievement reflects the effectiveness of its diversification strategy and commitment to sustainable value creation.

Beyond business expansion, EURO continues to invest in its people through structured training, upskilling opportunities, and leadership development programmes. By strengthening talent capabilities and fostering a culture of continuous learning, the Group remains focused on building a capable workforce that will support its future growth.

The recognition at APEA 2026 underscores EURO Group’s dedication to responsible business practices, strategic transformation, and long-term excellence as it continues to strengthen its position in an evolving market landscape.

Hashtag: #EUROGroup

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

About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine toward sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs, and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation, and courage for future generations. Please visit https://www.enterpriseasia.org/ for more information.

About Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards

Launched in 2007, the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards is the region’s most prestigious award for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation, and sustainable leadership. The Award provides a platform for companies and governments to recognize entrepreneurial excellence, hence spurring greater innovation, fair business practices, and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, it groups together leading entrepreneurs as a powerful voice for entrepreneurship and serves as a by-invitation-only networking powerhouse. The program has grown to encompass 16 countries/ regions and markets all over Asia. For further information, please visit.

Arvato Systems Malaysia Recognized at Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2026 Regional Edition for Excellence in Corporate Integrity and Governance


KUALA LUMPUR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 September 2026 – Arvato Systems Malaysia (ASM), a member of the Bertelsmann Group, has been honored with the Corporate Integrity and Governance Excellence award at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2026 Regional Edition, recognizing its commitment to building an ethical, transparent, and resilient organization through strong governance practices and responsible business operations.

Specializing in IT solutions for digital transformation, ASM develops software services that help organizations become more agile, competitive, and prepared for evolving business demands. With approximately 200 employees representing 10 nationalities, the company continues to empower digital leaders through innovation, collaboration, and its vision of “Together, WE build a brighter future for all through our greatest minds”.

ASM’s governance framework, established in alignment with the Bertelsmann Group, places ethics, compliance, and integrity at the center of its organizational practices. Through structured policies, regular compliance audits, and established management systems covering areas such as quality management and information security, the company ensures that responsible practices are embedded throughout its operations.

Transparency and employee engagement remain key pillars of ASM’s governance approach. Regular feedback surveys, open communication channels, and an open-door management culture encourage accountability and continuous improvement, while the sharing of survey outcomes and follow-up actions strengthens trust across the organization. The company also enhances business resilience through its Business Continuity Management Plan and continuous investment in employee development, including training, certifications, and AI-related upskilling initiatives.

Beyond governance, ASM extends its commitment to responsible growth through corporate responsibility programmes that empower underserved communities. Through initiatives such as the TechTrekkers programme, laptop donations, environmental activities, blood donation drives, and community partnerships, the company supports greater access to technology, education, and skills development.

Celebrating 20 years in Malaysia’s IT industry in 2025, ASM continues to strengthen its capabilities with initiatives such as the Cybersecurity Hub, enhancing risk detection and supporting clients with advanced security solutions. The company’s recognition at the APEA 2026 reflects ASM’s dedication to combining integrity, innovation, and sustainable practices in shaping a trusted digital future.

Hashtag: #ArvatoSystemsMalaysia

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

About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine toward sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs, and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation, and courage for future generations. Please visit https://www.enterpriseasia.org/ for more information.

About Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards

Launched in 2007, the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards is the region’s most prestigious award for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation, and sustainable leadership. The Award provides a platform for companies and governments to recognize entrepreneurial excellence, hence spurring greater innovation, fair business practices, and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, it groups together leading entrepreneurs as a powerful voice for entrepreneurship and serves as a by-invitation-only networking powerhouse. The program has grown to encompass 16 countries/ regions and markets all over Asia. For further information, please visit.

UnionPay, Official Payment Partner of the 26th CIFIT, Facilitates Global Development with Payment Innovation


XIAMEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 September 2026 – On September 8, the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) opened at the Xiamen International Expo Center. Held under the theme of “Further expanding bilateral investment, jointly facilitating global development”, this year’s CIFIT has attracted the participation of delegations from 123 countries and regions. As the official payment partner of the event, UnionPay showcased its key business achievements in international expansion and technological innovation. Highlights included its global network, UnionPay cross‑border B2B payment solutions, Nihao China App—a one‑stop service platform for inbound visitors to China—and the National Pilot Base for AI Application (Financial Sector). Dong Junfeng, Chairman of China UnionPay and UnionPay International, attended the event.

Strengthening the Global Acceptance Network

In a continuous effort to strengthening its global payment networks, UnionPay is now accepted in 183 countries and regions, covering more than 100 million merchants outside China’s mainland. UnionPay cards have been issued in 84 countries and regions outside China’s mainland, with its mobile payment services available in over 100 markets. UnionPay is also advancing QR payment connectivity with local payment networks in multiple geographies worldwide. Outside China’s mainland, UnionPay QR payments are accepted at over 46 million merchants, and over 200 UnionPay‑standard wallets have been launched in 37 countries and regions.

The “Global Network” section of UnionPay’s exhibition at the CIFIT displayed its three‑pronged business structure centered on the acceptance, card issuance, and cross-border QR payment linkages. Leveraging its advanced global switching and clearing infrastructure and payment technologies, UnionPay has launched digital payment solutions that are tailored to emerging subsectors within trade, such as cross‑border e‑commerce, as well as flight and hotel services. For Chinese enterprises going global, online travel agencies, and cross‑border e‑commerce clients, UnionPay has introduced the Virtual Commercial Card (VCC), a digital corporate card product. Featuring over-the-air provisioning and global acceptance, the solution delivers digital payment services that are efficient, secure, and controlled. Embracing open cooperation, UnionPay empowers partners in a collective effort to foster a new ecosystem for connected cross‑border payments.

Advancing AI‑Payment Integration to Build an Intelligent Payment Ecosystem

Responding to the deepening integration of artificial intelligence into the payment industry, UnionPay is using its Agentic Payment Open Protocol (APOP) as a key enabler to evolve AI‑powered finance from isolated projects toward industry-wide adoption. Providing a unified set of underlying technical standards for agentic payment use cases, the APOP is now available on the UnionPay Open Platform. The initial 19 partners consist of domestic and international commercial banks, AI agent providers, tech firms, merchants, and acquirers. Together with dozens of ecosystem partners, UnionPay has completed pilot transactions in real-word settings for overseas hotel reservations, in‑vehicle agent-assisted purchases, AI‑enabled flight booking, utility payments in the UnionPay App, and smart in-store ordering services.

In the exhibition area, UnionPay showcased a range of agentic payment achievements—the result of pulling industry resources to facilitate the integration and collaboration of computing power, data, and AI models, with a view to building a financial AI ecosystem that is open, controlled, secure, and reliable. Guided by the vision of “Trusted Ties, Shared Success”, UnionPay pursues sharing, joint governance and win‑win outcomes in its engagement with partners, delivering standard technical paradigms for the industry that is viable and replicable.

The Nihao China App, an All-in-One Solution that Makes Payment Easier for Visitors to China

In another exhibition zone themed “Nihao China”, UnionPay showcased the Nihao China App, a one‑stop digital service platform created specifically for inbound visitors to China. Integrating solutions for payment, transport, lifestyle, and cultural experience-driven tourism, and featuring an AI assistant, the app enables travelers to get around China hassle-free with their mobile phones.

The Nihao China App allows users to link their international cards for payments; mainstream Chinese QR code payments—both the Merchant Presented Mode and the Customer Presented Mode—are also supported. Over 300 mobile apps can seamlessly invoke the Nihao China App for payments. When it comes to transit, the app can be used to hail a taxi, purchase train and plane tickets, and ride the subway in 43 major Chinese cities and the bus in 1,760 cities at the county level and above nationwide. The app also supports 27 languages, including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean and Russian. The app’s built-in AI assistant can read and respond to text prompts provided in 119 languages, while its speech recognition feature enables voice-based Q&A in 35 languages. Through multi‑modal interactions based on speech, texts and images, the app can provide assistance across various use cases, such as payment, navigation, translation, and content sharing. Other tourist‑friendly features include e‑SIM data plans, currency conversion, English‑language maps, tax refund, and city-specific travel guides. As of July 2026, the Nihao China App has surpassed 800,000 downloads in over 160 countries and regions globally.

UnionPay continues to advance Project Excellence to facilitate the payment journey for inbound visitors in China, and accelerate payment connectivity between China’s mainland and the rest of the world. As of this past July, the inbound transactions generated by UnionPay cards issued outside China’s mainland and by overseas partner wallets increased 51% and 53% year on year, respectively. During the CIFIT, UnionPay worked with local banks to launch marketing campaigns at the Xiamen International Expo Center. These activities centered on “ticket‑stub economy”—where tickets to cultural and sports events come with discounts at nearby consumer locations—and payment offers outside China’s mainland, further enhancing user experience for Chinese and international participants alike.

At this year’s CIFIT, UnionPay demonstrated its latest advancements in cross‑border payments, intelligent finance, and payment facilitation for inbound visitors to promote payment connectivity among industrial partners at home and abroad. Moving forward, UnionPay will further leverage its strengths in global networks, products, technologies, and standards to expand international cooperation. Driven by the vision of “Trusted Ties, Shared Success”, it will contribute to the development of an open world economy and a global development community.

Hashtag: #UnionPayInternational

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

Laos Prepares For ASEAN Para Games With 12-Sport Bid

Laos triumphed over the Philippines at the AOZ Championship on 20 January 2024. (Photo: X-1/IWBF)

Laos is preparing to compete in 12 sports at the 14th ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur next October.

The Lao team has proposed entering athletics, swimming, powerlifting, boccia, women’s goalball, men’s blind football, women’s wheelchair basketball, cycling, badminton, wheelchair fencing, tennis and shooting, according to the Lao delegation attending the ASEAN Para Sports Federation’s Board of Governors meeting in Kuala Lumpur this week.

The 14th ASEAN Para Games will run from October 17–23, 2027, bringing para athletes from across ASEAN to Kuala Lumpur for a week of regional competition.

Member countries are currently submitting preliminary plans for the sports they hope to enter, with Laos proposing 12 disciplines for the Games.

Laos at the 2026 ASEAN Para Games

Earlier this year, Laos sent a large delegation to the 13th ASEAN Para Games, held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, from 20-27 January.

The Lao team competed against athletes from nine other ASEAN countries after Cambodia withdrew from the Games.

Lao athletes took part in athletics, swimming, weightlifting, goalball, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, boccia, football, cycling, shooting, fencing, badminton and tennis.

Before leaving for Thailand, the team received support from the government and private sector, including jerseys worth LAK 96 million (USD 4,445).

Laos is now looking ahead to the 2027 Games in Kuala Lumpur.