CRITEO EXPANDS SOUTHEAST ASIA PRESENCE THROUGH TYROO PARTNERSHIP

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Criteo, the global commerce intelligence platform, has announced a strategic reseller partnership with Tyroo Technologies to promote its performance media solutions to advertisers in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.

In a statement, Criteo said the partnership would extend its on-the-ground presence and provide advertisers in the three markets with more direct access to its commerce intelligence platform as they scale artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted commerce strategies.

Criteo Managing Director for Southeast Asia, Sukesh Singh said the partnership would help expand the company’s coverage in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines and support advertisers in activating AI-assisted commerce campaigns.

“As commerce continues to grow across Southeast Asia, we are confident this partnership will help advertisers in these markets reach high-intent audiences more effectively across channels and drive full-funnel outcomes through our commerce intelligence platform,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tyroo Country Head for India, Bharat Arora said the company would leverage its local teams and infrastructure to help advertisers and global brands access Criteo’s commerce intelligence capabilities across Southeast Asia.

Criteo said Tyroo’s regional presence, market expertise and existing advertiser relationships would strengthen its support for customers across the three markets.

The company said it has worked with Tyroo in India since 2021, with the expansion into Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines marking the next phase of the partnership.

-- BERNAMA

Cameron Highlands to Get Its Own Interactive Map

CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Pahang, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- Cameron Highlands is set to receive a dedicated interactive map, giving visitors a single digital reference for its townships, farms, tea estates and trails.

The map brings the highlands' scattered attractions into one navigable interface, replacing the printed brochures and fragmented listings visitors currently work from.

Built Around the Highlands' Real Problem

Cameron Highlands does not suffer from a lack of attractions. It suffers from congestion at a handful of them while others sit half empty on the same afternoon.

Weekend and school holiday traffic concentrates on the main road between Tanah Rata, Brinchang and Kea Farm. The map is designed to spread visitors across the full route rather than funnel them to the same three stops.

The Technology Behind It

The build uses a vector-based map layer rather than tiled satellite imagery, which keeps file size small, scales cleanly at any zoom and loads on the patchy mobile coverage found along the mountain roads.

Layered Points of Interest

Locations sit in toggleable layers, so a visitor planning a hike and a family looking for strawberry farms see different versions of the same map.

• Townships — Ringlet, Tanah Rata, Brinchang, Kea Farm, Tringkap and Kampung Raja

• Tea estates and farms — plantations, strawberry farms, flower nurseries and vegetable farms

• Trails and nature — jungle trails, waterfalls and the mossy forest route

• Accommodation and dining — hotels, homestays, restaurants and night market locations

• Access roads — the Tapah, Simpang Pulai and Gua Musang approaches

• Essential services — clinics, fuel stations, ATMs and parking areas

Route and Elevation Awareness

Three roads climb into Cameron Highlands, each with different journey times and road conditions. The map presents all three approaches so visitors can choose before setting off rather than following a default suggestion.

Elevation is shown across the route, which matters for both driving expectations and hiking difficulty in terrain where distance alone tells you very little.

Lightweight, Offline and Operator-Maintained

The interface is mobile-first and built to render on mid-range handsets. Once loaded, it remains available offline through the coverage gaps along the mountain roads.

•  Bilingual interface in Bahasa Malaysia and English

•  QR entry points at car parks, hotels and visitor centres, with no app download

•  Content management layer letting operators update their own listings

•  Geolocation showing the visitor's position against nearby points

•  Embeddable on hotel, farm and tourism websites

•  Usage analytics showing what visitors search for most

Why It Matters

Smaller operators in Ringlet, Tringkap and Kampung Raja are routinely missed by visitors who never travel past Brinchang. Visibility on a shared map changes that.

Better distribution also eases pressure on the central corridor, which benefits residents and visitors alike during peak periods.

Availability

The map will be accessible through any browser at launch, with no application download required. Launch timing will be announced separately.

Operators interested in listing their business can register their details ahead of the public launch. 

More about Cameron Map:
https://www.cameron.com.my/cameron-maps.html

Source: advertising.com.my

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Media Communications
Email: media@cameron.com.my 

--BERNAMA 

A2RL Sets New International Benchmark with Europe’s First Five-Car Autonomous Race

 

^{A2RL Sets New International Benchmark with Europe’s First Five-Car Autonomous Race (Photo: AETOSWire)}  

 

• UAE team Kinetiz wins A2RL’s first race outside of Abu Dhabi during ACI Racing Weekend hosted on Imola’s iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
• Watch the race HERE.

IMOLA, Italy, Sept 8 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) completed the first-ever multi-car autonomous race in Europe at the Imola Circuit in Italy on 5 September 2026, as part of ACI Racing Weekend. Kinetiz (UAE) won the League’s inaugural international race, across 12 laps of one of the most technically demanding circuits in world motorsport.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907943650/en/

Organised by ASPIRE, the grand challenges arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), A2RL brings together key players across Abu Dhabi’s autonomous mobility ecosystem, with strategic oversight from the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC). A2RL has evolved from a public testbed for AI under extreme race conditions into a competitive racing series. Imola marked the League’s first international chapter following two seasons at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, and a step towards its ambition to become the world’s first international championship for fully autonomous race cars.

The race brought together five fully autonomous racecars including race winner Kinetiz (UAE) followed by Constructor Racing (Germany) in second place, PoliMOVE (Italy) taking third, Unimore (Italy) in fourth and 2024 and 2025 champions TUM (Germany) finishing fifth. Each team competed with identical EAV-25 hardware, placing the performance differential in software: perception, planning, control and real-time decision-making.

Two-time consecutive A2RL Champion, TUM saw its winning streak end after encountering a technical issue on the formation lap resulting in the car returning to the pitlane before the rolling race start.

The fastest lap was set by pole-sitter and race leader Unimore at 1 minute 40 seconds before the car encountered a technical issue and came to a dramatic halt. The closely following PoliMOVE who hit the race’s top speed at 252.3 km/h and had raced within a second of the leader in a close battle from the outset, was unable to avoid colliding into the dramatically slowed Unimore car and collided with the rear, bringing the race to an abrupt end for both teams. The incident led Kinetiz to take the lead which they maintained until the checkered flag.

H.E. Faisal al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, said: “A2RL reflects how Abu Dhabi approaches advanced technology: setting an ambitious challenge, bringing the best minds together and creating the conditions for accelerated progress. Imola put that approach to the test, with five autonomous cars navigating the uncertainty and pressure of a live race. Seeing Kinetiz take the win marks an important moment for the UAE, while the wider value lies in what the race revealed about reliability, resilience and real-time decision-making. These insights will help advance autonomous systems far beyond racing.”

Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE, said: “Congratulations to team Kinetiz from the UAE on a well-earned victory. Imola raised the level of the challenge, asking autonomous systems to race wheel-to-wheel in a completely different environment and generating valuable data to accelerate the next stage of R&D. What we saw here gives us a new measure of how these systems perform and adapt under pressure.”

A True Test of Autonomous Racecraft

Defined by elevation changes, narrow racing lines, limited run-off and difficult overtaking zones, Imola tested how autonomous systems manage grip, traffic, positioning and overtaking under sustained pressure. The race required the AI to continuously respond to other competitors, deciding when to attack, defend and adapt its planned trajectory as the race developed.

Omar Hanif Alqassim, Team Principle of Kinetiz, said: “It is a very proud moment for all of us at Kinetiz to win A2RL’s first international race and, most importantly, to represent the UAE on an international stage. The team has worked extremely hard for this achievement, and seeing that effort result in a win makes it even more special. It was a great race and very well organised by ASPIRE, who have created a strong platform to showcase what the UAE is building in autonomous technology. We’re proud to bring this victory home and to be part of representing the UAE’s ambition and capabilities on the global stage.”

The Road to Imola

In advance of the race, teams prepared through a condensed physical testing period of just nine days across varying conditions including rain and, at one point, hail. The newly fitted wet-weather kit allowed all five teams to run, collectively completing 38 laps.

To supplement physical testing and give teams the opportunity to enhance their code, A2RL’s Sim Sprint returned this season, using high-fidelity digital twins including Yas Marina, the A2RL Autodrome, Suzuka and Imola to develop and validate their algorithms.

Alessandro Tucci, Executive Director, House of Grand Challenges at ASPIRE, said: “The performance Teams demonstrated during the race is the result of defined development strategy built on more than 5,000 hours of simulation testing and racing in 2025. Racing in Imola was a fundamental step for A2RL evolution and we are proud of the results achieved by the Teams and A2RL organisation Bringing that preparation to a circuit like Imola is how we keep raising the competitive standard of A2RL.”

What’s Next for A2RL

A2RL will return to Yas Marina Circuit for its next race. As the home of A2RL since its launch in 2024, Yas Marina Circuit remains the benchmark venue for the League’s continued evolution.

Lessons from Imola will now feed back into the R&D programme in Abu Dhabi. Testing autonomous systems across circuits with materially different layouts and racing characteristics provides a stronger measure of their ability to adapt, while continuing A2RL’s role as a public testbed for autonomous technology and reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a hub for applied AI and autonomous systems innovation. 

The 2026 series is made possible with the support of SteerAI, alongside leading partners AD Ports and du Infra; official partners AWS, Abu Dhabi Mobility and Abu Dhabi Gaming; official supporters HP and Castore; technical partners PACETEQ and Live in Five.

Watch the race here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdCF_yR3L4 

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907943650/en/

Contact

Thushara Mohanan
thushara.mohanan@tii.ae
Comms@a2rl.io 

Source : Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League

Helical Fusion Named a Final Candidate for Japan’s METI Fusion Power Demonstration Program

​

Image of Helix HARUKA, Helical Fusion’s Integrated Demo Device(left), and Helix KANATA, Helical Fusion’s Fusion Pilot Plant(right)

Milestone-based government program supports multiple fusion approaches toward power demonstration and commercialization

TOKYO, Sept 1 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Helical Fusion Co., Ltd., a fusion energy company developing a Helical Stellarator toward commercially viable fusion power, has been named a final candidate for Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) program supporting the demonstration of fusion power generation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260831991676/en/

 

The program is designed to accelerate fusion power demonstration in the 2030s under Japan’s national energy and fusion strategies. It supports private-sector technology development across multiple fusion approaches, including tokamak, stellarator and laser fusion, with approximately JPY 60 billion in total government support anticipated over the three years through 2028.
The amount to be awarded to Helical Fusion will be announced following the formal grant decision.

For Helical Fusion, the selection represents an important step in advancing the Helix Program, its development roadmap toward fusion power generation in the 2030s.

Japan Accelerates Fusion from Research toward Industrial Deployment

Japan has strengthened its commitment to fusion energy as both a next-generation energy source and a strategic industry.

Under Japan’s national fusion strategy, the government aims to achieve fusion power demonstration in the 2030s while encouraging the development of multiple technological approaches. The METI program supports private-sector developers pursuing this goal through a milestone-based framework, under which progress is evaluated against defined technical and commercialization objectives.

The program calls for projects not only to demonstrate the technical feasibility of fusion power generation, but also to establish fundamental knowledge required for future commercial power plants. Safety, appropriate safety measures and engagement with host communities are also incorporated into the framework.

Against this backdrop, Helical Fusion is advancing a development strategy centered on the requirements that ultimately determine whether fusion can function as a power plant: steady-state operation, net electricity generation and maintainability.

Why Helical Fusion Is Pursuing the Stellarator

Helical Fusion is developing a Helical Stellarator, building on approximately 70 years of Helical Stellarator research and engineering in Japan.

Unlike pulsed approaches, the Helical Stellarator is designed for inherently steady-state operation. Helical Fusion believes this architecture offers a credible path toward simultaneously achieving the three requirements essential for commercially viable fusion power:

* Steady-state operation — stable operation capable of supporting continuous electricity generation
* Net electricity — generating sufficient electricity to deliver net power outside the plant
* Maintainability — enabling maintenance necessary to achieve high plant availability

The company was founded in 2021 as a spin-out leveraging research originating from Japan’s National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), one of the world’s leading research institutions in stellarator fusion.

NIFS has accumulated extensive experimental knowledge through the Large Helical Device (LHD), including plasma operation lasting 3,268 seconds, plasma temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, and advanced plasma control technologies.

Helical Fusion is translating this scientific foundation into engineering and hardware through the Helix Program.

The Helix Program: From Integrated Demonstration to Fusion Power

The Helix Program is Helical Fusion’s roadmap toward commercially viable fusion power in the 2030s.

The company is first developing and demonstrating two critical technology systems: high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets and an integrated blanket/divertor system.

These technologies will be brought together in Helix HARUKA, the Integrated Demonstration Device, followed by Helix KANATA, the company’s first power-generating fusion plant.

Manufacturing and construction for the HTS magnet demonstration using Helix HARUKA are already underway in Helical Fusion’s dedicated workspace on the NIFS campus in Toki, Gifu Prefecture.

More than 30 companies across Japan are already contributing to the development of key components for Helix HARUKA. They include manufacturers with world-class precision machining and engineering capabilities, companies with deep expertise in integrating and refining complex technologies, and some of Japan’s leading heavy electrical equipment manufacturers with decades of experience in large-scale energy infrastructure.

By bringing together these industrial capabilities with Japan’s accumulated expertise in stellarator research, Helical Fusion is building an engineering and manufacturing foundation for commercially viable fusion power.

Comment from Takaya Taguchi, Co-Founder & CEO of Helical Fusion

“As global competition to bring fusion energy into real-world use accelerates, we believe Japan has reached a critical moment: one where we must make the fullest use of the outstanding knowledge and technological capabilities built by generations before us, while at the same time evaluating the best path forward from first principles.

When we focus on what it truly takes to make fusion energy a reality, we are convinced that developing the Helical Stellarator has an essential role to play.

We strongly support the purpose of this program and its commitment to advancing the deployment of fusion energy ahead of the world. As one team, we will dedicate ourselves fully to delivering on that ambition.”

About Helical Fusion

Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. is developing a Helical Stellarator to realize commercially viable fusion power. Founded in 2021 as a spin-out leveraging research originating from the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), the company is building on decades of Japanese stellarator research while integrating technologies from industry, academia and public research institutions.

Through the Helix Program, Helical Fusion is developing the technologies required for steady-state operation, net electricity generation and maintainability, with the goal of advancing fusion power generation in the 2030s.

The company is currently manufacturing and constructing key systems for Helix HARUKA, its Integrated Demonstration Device, in collaboration with more than 30 industrial partners across Japan.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260831991676/en/ 

Contact

Media Contact
Communication Design Office
Helical Fusion Co., Ltd.
contact@helicalfusion.com 

Source : Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. 

--BERNAMA 

NBA MVP RUSSELL WESTBROOK JOINS PROJECT B AS CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER

Russell Westbrook Announced as Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Project B

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- Project B announced that NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Russell Westbrook has joined the company’s founding team as Chief Strategy Officer, taking an active role in shaping its basketball strategy and long-term vision.

Westbrook, who is also a Co-Founder, holds an ownership stake in Project B and has joined its Board of Directors. His role extends to strategic partnerships and creates opportunities to collaborate with companies and initiatives across his broader business portfolio as the business grows globally.

“Russell brings an extraordinary combination of basketball intelligence, business ownership, cultural relevance and global reach. As co-founder, he will help shape both the game and the company as we expand the future for basketball globally,” said Project B Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Grady Burnett in a statement.

Meanwhile, Westbrook said: “With Project B, we are challenging the norm and bringing a new vision to the intersection of premium sport, culture, and entertainment. We are reimagining the experience with players not only as key value drivers but also as shareholders and decision makers.”

The announcement is Westbrook’s first major business move since the end of his 18-year NBA career. He has spent more than a decade building a global business portfolio through Russell Westbrook Enterprises, with investments across technology, digital media, consumer businesses, real estate, sports and community infrastructure.

Project B’s launch comes as the economics of global sports are changing rapidly. The company is building a global grand prix that brings elite basketball and live entertainment to major basketball markets worldwide.

Launching in January 2027, tournaments will move through host markets across Asia, Europe and the Americas, turning each stop into a week-long festival of sport, entertainment and culture, with unprecedented access to players and unique storytelling opportunities. The tournaments will be streamed live on YouTube.

Westbrook’s mandate will also create additional collaboration between Project B and his broader ecosystem, including opportunities across media, consumer products and community programming. Additional partnerships will be announced separately.

-- BERNAMA

ABB Davr Bank project launched with participation of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan

 

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Aug 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The ABB Davr Bank project was officially launched in Tashkent with the online participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The launch took place during a ceremony marking the inauguration and groundbreaking of projects being implemented by Azerbaijan in Uzbekistan.

Speaking during joint statements to the press with President Mirziyoyev, President Aliyev described the development as the entry of a leading Azerbaijani bank into the Uzbek market.

Under the project, ABB Bank will acquire a controlling stake in Davr Bank, one of Uzbekistan’s commercial banks. Following completion of the transaction, the Bank will operate in the country under the ABB Davr  brand.

On August 22, during the Fourth Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan Interregional Forum in Tashkent, Abbas Ibrahimov, Chairman of ABB’s Management Board, and Lutfulla Ubayev, Shareholder and Chairman of Davr Bank’s Supervisory Board, signed a share purchase agreement for ABB Bank to acquire a controlling stake in Davr Bank.

All required regulatory approvals have been obtained and the relevant agreements have been signed. Completion of the acquisition remains subject only to the final settlement of the transaction.

The agreement represents an important step in ABB’s expansion into Uzbekistan’s financial market, in line with the geographic expansion objectives set out in the Bank’s 2026–2028 Strategic Development Plan.

Operating under the ABB Davr  brand, the Bank will provide a broad range of financial services to corporate and retail customers throughout Uzbekistan. ABB Financial Group will introduce its corporate governance practices, digital transformation expertise, artificial intelligence-based solutions and comprehensive financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises to the Uzbek market.

With a population approaching 40 million and a rapidly growing economy, Uzbekistan presents significant opportunities for the development of modern banking services and solutions. ABB Davr Bank will seek to contribute to this development, with a particular focus on creating additional opportunities for the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises.

ABB Bank’s presence in Uzbekistan will also create significant new opportunities for the Group and further strengthen the regional and international standing of ABB Financial Group as a well-established Azerbaijani brand.

Abbas Ibrahimov, Chairman of ABB’s Management Board and Lutfulla Ubayev, Shareholder and Chairman of Davr Bank’s Supervisory Board, thanked the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, as well as the relevant government authorities, for their support in creating the conditions for ABB’s entry into the Uzbek market.

“It is a great honour for us that the first historic step towards ABB’s geographic expansion in its new strategic period has been taken in brotherly Uzbekistan,” Ibrahimov said. “We view this project as the beginning of our long-term presence in Uzbekistan and aspire to become a trusted financial partner for businesses, individuals and the country’s economy. Our ambition is to create new opportunities, support economic development and contribute to the further strengthening of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.”

Lutfulla Ubayev, Shareholder and Chairman of Davr Bank’s Supervisory Board, said: “With this transaction, we are taking banking services to a qualitatively new level. The expertise, innovative technologies and strong capital base of our new partner will enable Davr Bank to offer advanced financial products to its customers within a short period. This partnership will provide our Bank with even greater stability and lay the foundation for a major technological leap forward.”

More information about ABB Bank is available at abb-bank.az.

Media contact:
Yedgar Jafarov
Press Secretary

Yedgar.jafarov@abb-bank.az

Attachment

• ABB Davr Bank project launched with participation of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan 

SOURCE: ​Bank ABB - International Bank of Azerbaijan

Coventry’s LILY Funding Program Reaches $1 Billion in Life Insurance-Backed Financing

 

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Aug 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coventry, the leader and creator of the secondary market for life insurance and a pioneer of the life insurance-backed asset class, today announced the successful completion of its fourth asset-backed securitization since April 2025 under its LILY program, bringing total life insurance-backed financing across the platform to $1 billion. This achievement further establishes Coventry as the leading platform for institutional investors seeking differentiated exposure to longevity-linked assets.

This milestone also reflects continued investor demand for longevity-linked assets and LILY’s growing role as one of the industry’s leading platforms for accessing life insurance-backed investments through the asset-backed securities market.

Since its launch in 2025, the LILY program has consistently demonstrated the ability to access institutional capital by structuring longevity-linked assets into investment-grade asset-backed securities that emphasize durable collateral, predictable cash flows, and low correlation with traditional markets. The program combines Coventry’s extensive origination capabilities, actuarial expertise, servicing infrastructure, and transaction structuring experience to provide investors with access to a specialized asset class through a familiar ABS format.

“Reaching the $1 billion mark is a significant milestone for the LILY program and for the institutional market for life insurance-backed assets,” said Reid Buerger, Chief Executive Officer of Coventry. “More importantly, it reflects growing investor recognition of the value of longevity-linked assets and the benefits of accessing them through a disciplined, repeatable securitization platform like LILY. We believe this achievement reflects both the quality of the underlying assets and the strength of the infrastructure Coventry has built to originate, analyze, service, and finance them at scale.”

The growth of the LILY program underscores Coventry’s position at the intersection of life insurance, asset-backed finance, and private credit. As institutional investors continue to seek differentiated sources of return and portfolio diversification, Coventry expects life insurance-backed financing to play an increasingly important role in supporting the responsible expansion of the longevity-linked asset market.

To learn more about the LILY program and other Coventry updates, please visit www.coventry.com/news

About Coventry

Coventry is the leader and creator of the secondary market for life insurance and a pioneer of the life insurance-backed asset class, operating an integrated platform across four complementary verticals: the secondary market for life insurance, longevity lending, life insurance and annuity distribution, and insurance technology. Through these businesses, Coventry expands financial options for policyowners, provides capital solutions backed by life insurance policies and other longevity-linked assets, broadens access to insurance and retirement products, and applies technology to enhance pricing, risk management, and operational efficiency across the life insurance ecosystem.

Guided by a longstanding commitment to consumer rights and market integrity, Coventry leverages its leadership position to raise industry standards, expand consumer choice, and responsibly develop institutional-quality life insurance-backed investment solutions. Over its history, Coventry has acquired more than 23,000 life insurance policies, completed more than $50 billion in longevity-linked transactions, delivered more than $6 billion to policyowners, and originated more than $1 billion in life insurance-linked loans. To learn more about Coventry, visit Coventry.com. 

Media Contact:
Jonny Shiver
Vice President, Marketing
jshiver@coventry.com
(215) 836-8300 


SOURCE: Coventry