Amtliches Endergebnis: Der klare Sieger der Wahl in Sachsen-Anhalt heißt NIUS

Mehr als 1,3 Millionen Zuschauer: NIUS feiert mit Sondersendung Rekordzahlen und lässt den Wettbewerb weit hinter sich

BERLIN / MAGDEBURG (ots)

Die Landtagswahl in Sachsen-Anhalt verdeutlicht nicht nur eine politische Zäsur in Deutschland, sondern auch den immer schneller fortschreitenden Wandel in der Medienwelt. Mit einer mehrstündigen Sondersendung erreichte NIUS über 1,3 Millionen Zuschauer und erzielte damit einmal mehr Top-Einschaltquoten in der digitalen Berichterstattung. Allein auf YouTube verfolgten in der Spitze mehr als 135.000 Live-Zuschauer zeitgleich die exklusiven Analysen und Reaktionen bei NIUS, der YouTube-Kanal insgesamt erreichte im Juli mehr als 5,2 Millionen Zuschauer.

Das überwältigende Publikumsinteresse am Wahlabend zeigt nun erneut: NIUS hat sich als digitaler Vorreiter in der politischen Live-Berichterstattung an der Spitze etabliert. Wo traditionelle Formate immer mehr an Strahlkraft verlieren, setzt NIUS auf direkte und dynamische Berichterstattung am Puls des Geschehens.

In den vergangenen sieben Tagen war NIUS Live offiziell der größte deutsche Livestream mit durchschnittlich 32.357 Live-Zuschauern in jeder Folge. Damit ist NIUS live jeden Morgen ab 6 Uhr Deutschlands geliebteste Morgenshow.

Zum Umbruch in der politischen Berichterstattung betont NIUS-Chefredakteur Julian Reichelt:

"Der Medienwandel ist kein theoretischer Diskurs mehr, sondern eine tägliche Abstimmung. Die Menschen warten heute nicht mehr brav auf die 20-Uhr-Nachrichten - sie holen sich ihre Informationen dort, wo sie live und ungefiltert stattfinden. Danke an alle, die NIUS als ihre neue Lovebrand gewählt haben. Wir nehmen die Wahl an."

Über NIUS:

NIUS ist Deutschlands schnellstwachsendes Medien-Startup und für immer mehr Menschen die Informationsquelle Nummer 1.

Pressekontakt:

Philippe Fischer

NIUS Presse & Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

Telefon: +49 (0)30 - 2000443-00

E-Mail: kontakt@nius.de

Original-Content von: VIUS SE & Co KGaA, übermittelt durch news aktuell

Aktion von CSL Seqirus ruft zur Grippeimpfung vor dem Oktoberfest auf

München (ots)

Die zweite Ausgabe der Aktion "O'zapft is - aber bitte Grippe-geimpft!" von CSL Seqirus und der Marien Apotheke München hat heute mit einem Pressetermin begonnen. Heute und morgen sind alle Münchner:innen dazu aufgerufen, sich pünktlich vor dem größten Volksfest der Welt gegen die Grippe impfen zu lassen.

Gemeinsam mit Experten aus Medizin und Politik setzen CSL Seqirus und die Marien Apotheke vor der Wiesn und zum Beginn der Grippesaison erneut ein Zeichen für Grippeprävention. Sie nutzen den Anlass, um auf die niedrigschwelligen Impfangebote in Arztpraxen und Apotheken aufmerksam zu machen. Nach dem großen Erfolg im letzten Jahr, als sich über 300 Personen an zwei Tagen impfen ließen, wurde die Aktion in diesem Jahr ausgeweitet. Mehr als 40 Arztpraxen und Apotheken in der Region München beteiligen sich an der Aktion und dem Aufruf, sich vor dem Oktoberfest gegen Grippe impfen zu lassen.

Am heutigen Pressetermin haben folgende Persönlichkeiten teilgenommen, um ihre Unterstützung zum Ausdruck zu bringen:

- Thomas Benkert, Ehrenpräsident der Bundesapothekerkammer (BAK)

- Alexander Almerood, Country Manager, CSL Seqirus Germany

- Prof. Klaus Holetschek, Vorsitzender der CSU-Fraktion im Bayerischen Landtag, Staatsminister für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention a.D.

- Prof. Dr. Christoph Spinner, MBA, Ltd. Oberarzt Infektiologie, Klinikum der Technischen Universität München (TUM Klinikum)

Thomas Benkert, Ehrenpräsident der Bundesapothekerkammer (BAK)

"Apotheken leisten bereits heute einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Prävention und ermöglichen vielen Menschen einen unkomplizierten Zugang zur Grippeschutzimpfung. Mit dieser Aktion machen wir sichtbar, wie einfach Vorsorge sein kann. Gerade vor dem Oktoberfest, wenn Millionen Menschen zusammenkommen, möchten wir die Münchnerinnen und Münchner daran erinnern, rechtzeitig an ihren Impfschutz zu denken. Die große Resonanz im vergangenen Jahr hat gezeigt, dass wir mit dieser Aktion viele Menschen erreichen können."

Alexander Almerood, Country Manager, CSL Seqirus Germany

"Als eines der weltweit führenden Unternehmen im Bereich Influenza-Prävention engagiert sich CSL Seqirus für die Entwicklung und Bereitstellung weiterentwickelter* Grippeimpfstoffe sowie die Stärkung der öffentlichen Gesundheit. Auch in dieser Saison, in der die von der WHO empfohlene umfassende Stammanpassung die Impfstoffherstellung vor besondere Herausforderungen gestellt hat, konnten wir unsere Grippeimpfstoffe verlässlich und frühzeitig bereitstellen. Mit unserer Oktoberfest-Initiative bringen wir Wissenschaft, Politik, Apotheken und Arztpraxen zusammen, um möglichst viele Menschen für die Grippeschutzimpfung zu sensibilisieren. Besonders freut uns, dass sich mehr als 40 Apotheken und Arztpraxen in der Region München an der Aktion beteiligen. Denn jede verhinderte Grippeerkrankung schützt nicht nur die Menschen selbst, sondern stärkt auch die Gesundheit unserer Gesellschaft insgesamt."

* Die STIKO bezeichnet im Protokoll ihrer 96. Sitzung vom 17. Juni 2020 sowie in ihren Empfehlungen den MF59-adjuvantierten Impfstoff, Hochdosis-Impfstoff, rekombinanten Impfstoff und zellbasierten Impfstoff als "weiterentwickelte" Impfstoffe.

Prof. Klaus Holetschek, Vorsitzender der CSU-Fraktion im Bayerischen Landtag, Staatsminister für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention a.D.

"Mir ist wichtig, dass die Menschen in München gut informiert und gut geschützt in den Herbst gehen. Die Grippe wird schnell unterschätzt. Dabei kann ein rechtzeitiger Impfschutz helfen, sich selbst zu schützen und zugleich Verantwortung für andere zu übernehmen. Gerade vor dem Oktoberfest zeigt Vorsorge auch: Wir passen aufeinander auf."

Prof. Dr. Christoph Spinner, MBA, Ltd. Oberarzt Infektiologie, Klinikum der Technischen Universität München (TUM Klinikum)

"Influenza ist keine harmlose Erkältung, sondern verursacht jedes Jahr erhebliche Krankheitslast, Krankenhausaufenthalte und Arbeitsausfälle. Gerade rund um Großveranstaltungen wie das Oktoberfest gewinnt Prävention an Bedeutung. Die STIKO empfiehlt die jährliche Grippeimpfung insbesondere für Menschen ab 60 Jahre, chronisch Erkrankte und sowie Personen mit erhöhtem Infektionsrisiko durch viele berufliche und private Kontakte. Die gute Nachricht: Mit weiterentwickelten Influenza-Impfstoffen, wie beispielsweise denen von CSL Seqirus, steht eine wirksame und sichere Schutzmaßnahme zur Verfügung. Wer sich jetzt impfen lässt, ist rechtzeitig zum Start der Grippesaison geschützt."

Pressekontakt:

Steffen Becker

APCO

+49 173 490 53 82

sbecker@apcoworldwide.com

Original-Content von: CSL Seqirus, übermittelt durch news aktuell

Vereinigte Lohnsteuerhilfe e.V. - VLH

Privatauto statt Firmenwagen für Dienstreise: Kein Werbungskostenabzug

Neustadt a. d. W. (ots)

Fahrtkosten für Dienstreisen mit dem privaten Auto können grundsätzlich als Werbungskosten steuerlich geltend gemacht werden. Aber Achtung: Steht für Dienstreisen eigentlich ein Firmenwagen zur Verfügung und man entscheidet sich dennoch für das Privatfahrzeug, kann das Finanzamt den Abzug der entsprechenden Werbungskosten verweigern. Das geht aus einem Urteil des Bundesfinanzhofs (BFH) hervor. Der Lohnsteuerhilfeverein Vereinigte Lohnsteuerhilfe e. V. (VLH) erläutert die Details und klärt auf.

Ohne Firmenwagen können Werbungskosten geltend gemacht werden

Wer mit seinem privaten Fahrzeug eine Dienstreise absolviert und die Fahrtkosten nicht vom Arbeitgeber oder der Arbeitgeberin erstattet bekommt, kann diese in der Steuererklärung als Werbungskosten geltend machen. Anders sieht es aus, wenn ein Arbeitnehmer oder eine Arbeitnehmerin über einen Firmenwagen verfügt, statt diesem ein Privatfahrzeug für eine Dienstfahrt nutzt und die Fahrtkosten von der Steuer absetzen möchte. Genau darum ging es in einen Streitfall, der in letzter Instanz beim Bundesfinanzhof (BFH) landete.

Ein Arbeitnehmer verfügte über einen Firmenwagen, den er und seine Ehefrau auch privat nutzen durften. Für drei Dienstreisen nahm er dennoch seinen privaten Pkw und wollte dafür in seiner Steuererklärung Fahrtkosten von rund 3.800 Euro als Werbungskosten geltend machen. Das Finanzamt lehnte dies ab, der Mann klagte - und das Niedersächsische Finanzgericht gab seiner Klage statt. Dagegen wiederum wehrte sich das zuständige Finanzamt, und so landete der Fall als Revision beim BFH.

Privat-Pkw statt Firmenwagen für Dienstreise: Gründe sind entscheidend

Der BFH stellte klar: Werden berufliche Fahrten mit dem Privatwagen durchgeführt, obwohl ein Firmenwagen kostenlos zur Verfügung steht, kommt es auf die Gründe für diese Entscheidung an. Liegt die Nutzung des Privatwagens überwiegend in privaten Motiven begründet und werden diese nach einer sogenannten Angemessenheitsprüfung als unangemessen eingestuft, können die dadurch entstandenen Kosten steuerlich nicht berücksichtigt werden.

Im konkreten Fall nutzte die Ehefrau während der Dienstreisen des Mannes den Firmenwagen. Darin sah der BFH ausschließlich private Motive und die entstandenen Kosten als unangemessen an. Zumal dem Arbeitnehmer bei Nutzung des Firmenwagens keinerlei Fahrtkosten entstanden wären. Deshalb lehnte der BFH den Abzug der Werbungskosten ab, und die Entscheidung des Finanzgerichts wurde aufgehoben (BFH-Urteil VI R 30/24).

Die VLH: Größter Lohnsteuerhilfeverein Deutschlands

Der Lohnsteuerhilfeverein Vereinigte Lohnsteuerhilfe e. V. (VLH) ist mit rund 1,3 Millionen Mitgliedern und bundesweit rund 3.000 Beratungsstellen Deutschlands größter Lohnsteuerhilfeverein. Gegründet im Jahr 1972, stellt die VLH außerdem die meisten nach DIN 77700 zertifizierten Beraterinnen und Berater. Die VLH erstellt für ihre Mitglieder die Einkommensteuererklärung, beantragt sämtliche Steuerermäßigungen, prüft den Steuerbescheid und vieles mehr im Rahmen der Beratungsbefugnis nach § 4 StBerG.

Pressekontakt:

Steffen Gall

Lohnsteuerhilfeverein

Vereinigte Lohnsteuerhilfe e. V. (VLH)

Fritz-Voigt-Str. 13

67433 Neustadt a.d. Weinstraße

Tel.: 06321 4901-0

Fax: 06321 4901-49

E-Mail: presse@vlh.de

Web: www.vlh.de/presse

Original-Content von: Vereinigte Lohnsteuerhilfe e.V. - VLH, übermittelt durch news aktuell

Waterdrop Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Unaudited Financial Results

BEIJING, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 8, Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) released its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026. In Q2 2026, the company's operating revenue reached RMB1,448.2 million, up 72.8% year-over-year; net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB125.8 million, marking 18 consecutive quarters of profitability. As of August 31, 2026, the company had cumulatively repurchased approximately 62.9 million ADSs (American Depositary Shares) from the open market.

With solid performance in Q2, the company achieved rapid revenue growth. Going forward, Waterdrop will continue to increase investment in AI technology innovation, making healthcare and financial services more accessible to the public.

Insurance Business Grows Steadily, AI Penetration Continues to Rise

This quarter, the insurance business maintained strong growth, with insurance-related revenue up 80.5% year-over-year. Meanwhile, profitability continued to improve, with insurance business operating profit reaching RMB183.6 million, up 20% quarter-over-quarter. Waterdrop is comprehensively accelerating the application of AI technology across the entire insurance value chain. Premiums facilitated by 'AI Medical Insurance Expert' rose by 25.6% quarter-over-quarter. First-year premiums for long-term insurance grew 33.4% quarter-over-quarter.

In terms of product innovation, leveraging its massive claims data and user profile analytics, Waterdrop has broken the traditional static logic of blanket rejection for people with chronic diseases, removing barriers to coverage for users with pre-existing conditions one by one. This quarter, Waterdrop launched 'Rongyibao,' the market's first long-term critical illness insurance product that requires no health disclosure and offers five-year guaranteed renewability, covering more than 100 critical illnesses with optional riders for accidental death and disability benefits. At the same time, the company expanded 'Jixing Gaozhao' series with the market's first lifetime specified disease insurance product requiring no health disclosure.

Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding: 499 Million Users Have Donated RMB74.7 Billion to 3.82 Million Patients

This quarter, Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding continued to fulfill its role in providing emergency relief. Since its launch in 2016, approximately 499 million donors have cumulatively contributed RMB74.7 billion to 3.82 million patients with critical illnesses through Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding.

Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding has always practiced the philosophy of "tech for good," building a dual safeguard system for case authenticity verification and transparent fund flow through AI technology. This quarter, Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding introduced AI in risk management: relying on the semantic parsing capabilities of large models combined with strategic analysis, it built an intelligent identification matrix for multiple high-risk scenarios, precisely detecting dimensions such as fundraiser sensitive-identity recognition and abnormal assets. This has significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency of platform risk identification, ensuring the authenticity and reliability of fundraising cases.

In addition, Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding has launched AI fundraising assistants in 548 cities nationwide. Leveraging intelligent, round-the-clock service, the assistants provide professional support to fundraising users across the country — especially those in remote areas and those unfamiliar with internet operations. Services cover end-to-end fundraising Q&A, basic critical-illness health education, and efficient fundraising guidance, making critical illness relief more precise and convenient and filling gaps left by human service coverage.

E-Find Platform: Q2 Revenue RMB35.2 Million, Partners with 255 Pharma Companies and CROs

Waterdrop's digital clinical trial solutions business grew steadily, with E-Find Platform's net revenue reaching RMB35.2 million, up 26.8% year-over-year. This quarter, E-Find Platform established partnerships with 255 well-known domestic and overseas pharma companies and CROs. As of June 30, 2026, it had cumulatively delivered 1,873 clinical trial projects with 17,052 enrolled patients.

In terms of social responsibility, in response to severe rainstorms and floods across multiple areas of Guangxi and debris-flow disasters at the Jilong Port in Jilong County, Shigatse, Tibet, Waterdrop urgently established a disaster relief emergency response team and quickly launched rescue operations. Waterdrop Charity immediately launched a "Relief" special section on its homepage and, in collaboration with multiple foundations, rushed aid to affected areas — delivering over 2,000 relief supply packages to the Guangxi disaster zone and doing its utmost to help affected communities through the crisis.

Shen Peng, Founder and CEO of Waterdrop Inc., said: "Waterdrop has always regarded technology as our core driver. With AI embedded across our platforms, we are well positioned to capture the growing demand in our existing businesses. In the future, we remain committed to delivering greater value for our shareholders in the years to come."

SOURCE Waterdrop Inc.

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National Day of Awareness highlights the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and encourages people to reach out for support whenever they need it

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, September 8 (9/8), Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant), the nonprofit administrator of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, joins the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and communities across the country in recognizing 988 Day, a national day of awareness led by SAMHSA to highlight the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the importance of making mental health support accessible to everyone.

This year's theme, 988 Reasons: Your reason is reason enough, serves as a reminder that someone does not have to be in crisis to reach out to 988 via call, text or online chat. Whatever they're facing, whether a difficult moment, feeling overwhelmed, supporting someone they care about, or simply needing someone to talk to, their reason for seeking support is reason enough.

"We have seen what's possible when a nation comes together around a shared commitment to making care more accessible. The 988 Lifeline has become an essential part of our country's behavioral health infrastructure, and its continued growth reflects a foundational truth: people deserve timely, compassionate support when and where they need it," said Dr. Cara A. McNulty, Chief Executive Officer of Vibrant Emotional Health.

Since the transition to the three-digit number in July 2022, the 988 Lifeline has routed nearly 30 million calls, texts and chats, connecting people with trained crisis counselors for mental health and substance misuse support and resources through its nationwide network.

"988 Day is an opportunity to shine a light on the impact of the 988 Lifeline and remind people that support is just three digits away—whatever they may be facing," said Wendy Martinez Farmer, Interim Program Director of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at Vibrant Emotional Health. "By making 988 known and accessible to everyone, we can help ensure that no one faces a difficult moment alone, and ultimately, save lives."

Help Spread the Word about 988 Day

Vibrant encourages our partners, advocates and supporters to help raise awareness of the 988 Lifeline and amplify the message that your reason is reason enough:

- Access and share the 988 Day Toolkit, which includes ready-to-use content, graphics and other resources

- Share 988 Day content from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Vibrant Emotional Health social media channels

- Create your own posts about why 988 matters to you and your community using #988Day

- Amplify events and initiatives hosted by organizations or state governments in recognition of 988 Day

For more information about 988 Day and to access the digital toolkit, visit 988lifeline.org/988-day.

About Vibrant Emotional Health

Vibrant Emotional Health is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and families achieve emotional wellbeing. For over 55 years, our groundbreaking solutions have delivered high-quality services and support when, where, and how people need it. We offer confidential emotional support through our state-of-the-art contact center and crisis hotline services that use leading-edge telephone, text, and web-based technologies, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Veterans Crisis Line. Through our community wellness programs, individuals and families obtain the support and skills they need to thrive. Our advocacy and education initiatives promote mental well-being as a social responsibility. Vibrant helps millions of people live healthier and more vibrant lives yearly. We're advancing access, dignity, and respect for all and revolutionizing the system for good. Visit vibrant.org. Follow Vibrant on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Media Contact: Divendra Jaffar, Assistant Vice President, Communications and Engagement, [email protected]

SOURCE Vibrant Emotional Health

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"The purpose of coaching is not to complete a coaching session. It is to change behavior that results in meaningful impact to the business," said Swapnil Jain, Co-Founder and CEO at Observe.AI. "Performance Agents turn the intelligence within customer conversations into clear, timely actions for supervisors and frontline teams. These AI agents apply a consistent standard for coaching, personalize development to each individual, and measure whether that coaching improves performance."

Performance Agents address a persistent gap in contact center performance management. CX organizations can now evaluate customer interactions at a scale that manual quality programs could never reach, but converting that data into effective coaching remains time-consuming. Today, supervisors must interpret reports, find relevant conversations, document examples, prepare plans, and determine whether performance improved afterward.

Performance Agents connect these steps in a continuous system grounded in real customer conversations. They use transcripts, QA scoring, and identified winning behaviors to evaluate performance. By analyzing patterns across multiple interactions, they can distinguish an isolated issue from a recurring behavior and prepare bespoke coaching plans for each frontline support agent.

Organizations identify and then define the behaviors that matter to business outcomes. These can include objective requirements such as compliance and process adherence, as well as nuanced human behaviors such as empathy, active listening, discovery, objection handling, and expectation setting.

Organizations can configure Performance Agents by team, role, line of business, or cohort. Each agent can use the organization's terminology, behavior definitions, tone, QA forms, and coaching methodology, including frameworks such as GROW, SMART, IDEA, or a custom model. This enables large CX organizations to apply consistent coaching and evidence standards across teams while tailoring each plan to the individual.

Supervisors review, edit, approve, and share coaching plans. Performance Agents do not make autonomous employment or performance decisions, and no plan is delivered to a frontline teammate without human review. Frontline teammates can access the same plan and evidence, acknowledge the coaching, and provide additional context, creating a shared record of what was discussed and what improvement is expected.

Performance Agents continue measuring performance after coaching occurs. Subsequent customer interactions provide new evidence, allowing organizations to monitor trends, compare progress over time, and inform the next coaching plan. Coaching effectiveness reporting shows when coaching was provided, how performance changed, and whether targeted behaviors improved.

The system reduces the time supervisors spend preparing for coaching. Performance Agents can reduce preparation to under five minutes in applicable workflows, allowing supervisors to focus on judgment, context, and employee development.

The launch expands Observe.AI's portfolio of purpose-built AI Agents across the Customer Experience organization. The Observe.AI platform brings together AI Agents for Customers, Companion Agent for Frontline Teams, AI Agents for Operations, and Interaction Intelligence, which connects customer conversations, quality, assistance, insights, and performance.

With Performance Agents, CX organizations can establish a consistent approach to coaching across the entire organization and with their BPO partners, deliver personalized guidance at scale, and connect coaching activity to measurable frontline improvement.

To learn more about Performance Agents, visit https://www.observe.ai/

About Observe.AI

Observe.AI is the AI platform for Customer Experience, helping organizations automate customer interactions, assist frontline teams, and analyze every conversation to improve customer and business outcomes. The Observe.AI platform combines AI Agents for Customers, Companion Agent for Frontline Teams, AI Agents for Operations, and Interaction Intelligence to give organizations a connected system for understanding and improving Customer Experience at scale.

CONTACT:

John McMullan Communications

Observe.AI 

[email protected]

SOURCE Observe.AI

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Prehistoric rivals discover the power of compassion in "The Good Pliosaur"

Spencer Patterson's children's book uses an underwater rescue to challenge prejudice and encourage kindness

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Author and educator Spencer Patterson uses an underwater conflict between two groups of prehistoric marine reptiles to introduce young readers to themes of compassion, prejudice and loving one's neighbor in the children's picture book "The Good Pliosaur."

Illustrated by Sam Calden, the story takes place in an ocean where long-necked plesiosaurs and short-necked pliosaurs have distrusted one another for generations. Although the two groups no longer fight the wars of the past, resentment and disrespect continue to shape how they view and treat one another.

At the center of the story is Brett, a plesiosaur who takes pride in his long neck and considers pliosaurs inferior. While traveling to underwater cooking vents to bake cookies for his mother, he is attacked by deep-sea bandits who steal his pearls and trap him beneath a heavy rock. Two fellow plesiosaurs encounter the injured Brett but refuse to help, each offering an excuse for leaving him behind. Kyle, a pliosaur who has endured ridicule from plesiosaurs throughout his life, then finds Brett and, despite the history between their communities, chooses to move the rock, carry him to safety and pay for his medical care.

Through Brett's changing understanding of Kyle, the book examines how personal encounters can challenge assumptions inherited from families, communities and history. Brett is forced to reconsider his beliefs after the creature he once dismissed becomes the one willing to risk his own safety and resources to save him.

"I wanted to create an underwater adventure that children could enjoy while also giving families a way to discuss prejudice, courage and what it means to treat others with compassion," Patterson said. "Kyle's choice shows that kindness is most meaningful when it crosses the boundaries people have been taught to maintain."

"The Good Pliosaur" is intended to encourage conversations among children, parents and educators about empathy, bias, forgiveness and the decision to help someone in need, even when that person comes from a different group.

"The Good Pliosaur"

By Spencer Patterson

ISBN: 9798385034925 (softcover); 9798385034932 (hardcover); 9798385034949 (electronic)

Available at WestBow Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Spencer Patterson has taught English, leadership, and pedagogy at the high school and university level for more than seven years. He currently works as a Teacher Education professor at John Brown University. The author of several short stories and poems, he serves as the editor of "Tabletop Reviews" for the website Geeks Under Grace. He and his wife have four daughters and live in Siloam Springs, AR. To learn more, please visit Patterson's Facebook page, Instagram or https://www.thegoodpliosaur.com.

General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE – Phoenix

Ashley Fletcher

SOURCE WestBow Press

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- 744 restaurants across 105 cities and 40 countries and regions recognised, as global food search interest accelerates worldwide

- New WOW Privileges programme launched, giving Black Diamond members exclusive access to scarce seats at hard-to-book restaurants across Asia

SINGAPORE, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Trip.Gourmet, Trip.com Group's dedicated food and dining brand, today marked its tenth anniversary with the global launch of the 2027 Fine Dining List, held in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in Singapore. The event brought together restaurant partners, culinary experts and media from around the world to celebrate a decade of connecting travellers with the flavours that define the world's great destinations.

The 2027 Fine Dining List now spans six continents, 105 cities and 40 countries and regions, recognising 744 restaurants across three tiers - Black Diamond, the highest distinction (60), Diamond (160) and Platinum (524) - with 34 new destinations added this year across Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia, South America and Africa. Since its debut ten years ago, the list has grown from a single-market ranking into a global culinary index spanning 66 countries and regions and 462 destinations, guiding travellers toward restaurants worth building a trip around.

"Today's travellers are no longer just enjoying food at their destination - increasingly, a single meal is shaping where they choose to go, and when," said Sunny Sun, Vice President, Trip.com Group and CEO of Trip.Gourmet. "As cross-border travel becomes more frequent, our goal for the next chapter of Trip.Gourmet is simple: to help every traveller discover restaurants worth the trip, understand why they matter, and book with confidence."

From Paris to Bangkok: Fine Dining's Centre of Gravity Goes Global

This year's list reflects the breadth of global fine dining, with restaurants recognised across 40 countries and regions. Asia-Pacific anchors the list by volume, with 478 restaurants - nearly two-thirds of the global total - spread across 51 cities and 32 Black Diamond honours, led by culinary hubs including Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. Europe offers the broadest geographic reach of any continent, with restaurants recognised across 20 countries and regions and 35 cities, and 23 Black Diamond honours, anchored by Paris and London. The Americas contribute 63 restaurants across 14 cities, led by New York, while the list's newest frontier - spanning South Asia, the Middle East and Africa - adds 17 restaurants across 5 cities, including Dubai and Cape Town.

As host city for this year's global launch, Singapore is recognised with 27 restaurants on the 2027 Fine Dining List, spanning all three tiers: 3 Black Diamond, 8 Diamond and 16 Platinum. Singapore's Black Diamond restaurants - Odette, Les Amis and Restaurant Labyrinth - represent some of the highest culinary honours awarded anywhere in the world this year, while Diamond-tier restaurants such as Zén, JAAN by Kirk Westaway and Summer Pavilion reflect the city-state's continued rise as one of the world's most dynamic dining destinations.

"Singapore has always been a city where different cultures and flavours meet, and RWS is proud to reflect that spirit through our own dining offerings," said Chen Si, Chief Operating Officer of Resorts World Sentosa. "We are delighted to welcome Trip.Gourmet's global celebration of fine dining to RWS, and look forward to more travellers discovering the culinary experiences we have to offer."

RWS, Asia's premier lifestyle destination resort, boasts an expansive culinary landscape of more than 60 restaurants featuring diverse cuisines and celebrated chefs, with experiences ranging from fine dining to distinctive local flavours. In recent years, RWS has proactively welcomed well-known F&B brands including Peking Chamber and Chagee, further deepening its culinary offering.

The full 2027 global restaurant rankings can be viewed on the Trip.com app.

New for 2027: From List to Journey

Alongside the list, Trip.Gourmet announced two new features designed to turn culinary discovery into bookable travel experiences:

- Global Table Booking: Over 43,600 restaurants worldwide - nearly 40,000 of them overseas - are now part of Trip.Gourmet's booking network, with many directly bookable.

- WOW Privileges: An exclusive benefits programme for Trip.com Group's Black Diamond members, unlocking scarce next-month seats at hard-to-book restaurants on the 1st of every month. The programme currently partners with in-demand restaurants, offering more than 320 scarce seats over the course of the year, with benefits such as priority seating, chef's greetings and limited-edition menus.

Trip.Gourmet also introduced a new China Travel Culinary List, designed to help international travellers visiting China navigate menus, dietary needs, ordering and booking. The first batch is already live across 30 cities, with coverage expected to expand to 100 cities over time.

When Dinner Decides the Destination: Food Searches Surge Worldwide

The launch comes as global interest in food-led travel continues to accelerate. According to Group data, food-related searches increased by 45% over the past eight months of 2026, with the number of distinct food-related search terms up 46% over the same period. Travellers who engaged with food-related content also showed markedly stronger engagement than the overall user base, about 41% of food-related search interactions leading users to continue exploring, compared with 28% across all search categories.

Within these searches, interest in restaurants specifically grew by 68%, buffet searches rose 66%, and café, coffee and tea searches increased 67% - pointing to travellers seeking a broader range of dining occasions during their trips. Interest in seafood rose 218%, while searches for local specialities climbed by over 700%. Increasingly, travellers are also combining destination and dining intent directly in their searches, with queries such as "Macau buffet", "Shanghai restaurant" and "Hanoi food" among the fastest-growing search patterns.

The trend is also gathering pace across new international markets. Since expanding into Europe in May 2026, food-related search has grown quickly across several European markets, led by Italy and Spain, with Germany and France - Europe's largest market by search volume - all posting strong triple digit growth. Within Asia-Pacific, destinations like Japan (+130%), Indonesia (+347%) and Hong Kong SAR (+71%) recorded the fastest-growing food-related search volumes over the same period.

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

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SOURCE Trip.com Group

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/C O R R E C T I O N -- Johnnie Walker/

Bezüglich der Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel, JOHNNIE WALKER BRINGT EINE LIMITIERTE AUFLAGE DER SABRINA CARPENTER BLACK LABEL-FLASCHE AUF DEN MARKT, wir wurden von dem Unternehmen darauf hingewiesen, dass Journalisten und andere Leser das Foto von Sabrina Carpenter sowie die Hinweise für die Redaktion, die ursprünglich versehentlich beigefügt worden waren, ignorieren sollten.. Es folgt die vollständige, korrigierte Pressemitteilung:

JOHNNIE WALKER BRINGT EINE LIMITIERTE AUFLAGE DER SABRINA CARPENTER BLACK LABEL-FLASCHE AUF DEN MARKT

Das neueste Kapitel der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Johnnie Walker und Sabrina Carpenter zelebriert mutige Kreativität durch eine neue Sammlerflasche, die von der selbstbewussten, kompromisslosen Ausstrahlung von – Sabrinas Album „Man's Best Friend" – inspiriert ist.

LONDON, 8. September 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnnie Walker, die weltweit führende Scotch-Whisky-[1], präsentiert ein neues, limitiertes Flaschendesign für Johnnie Walker Black Label, das im Rahmen der laufenden Zusammenarbeit der Marke mit der GRAMMY®-preisgekrönten Weltstar-Sängerin Sabrina Carpenter entstanden ist.

Das Design, das von ihrem neuen Album : „ Man's Best Friend" inspirierte Details aufweist – von einer maßgeschneiderten Farbvariante in „Sabrina-Blau" bis hin zu verspielten Hundepfoten-Motiven –, verbindet den zeitlosen Charakter von Johnnie Walker Black Label mit Sabrinas unverwechselbarem Stil. Die Flasche markiert das neueste Kapitel in der langjährigen Partnerschaft zwischen Johnnie Walker und Sabrina Carpenter, die zwei kulturelle Ikonen zusammenbringt, die durch ihr gemeinsames Bekenntnis zum Fortschritt verbunden sind.

Sabrina Carpenter sagte: „Ich liebe es, meinen Fans kleine Überraschungen zu bereiten, und das schien mir eine wirklich coole Möglichkeit zu sein, die Welt von : Man's Best Friend' zum Leben zu erwecken. Ich liebe es, Geschichten jenseits der Musik zu erzählen, daher war es eine tolle Herausforderung, einem so ikonischen Objekt wie der Johnnie Walker Black Label-Flasche meine ganz eigene Note zu verleihen. Ich kann es kaum erwarten, dass alle die vielen kleinen Details sehen."

Die im vergangenen August angekündigte Partnerschaft startete mit einer weltweiten Kampagne, die die Einführung von „ : Man's Best Friend" im Laufe desselben Jahres feierte. Die Kampagne, die zeitgleich mit der letzten Etappe von Sabrinas „ Short n' Sweet Tour" startete, stellte Fans, die das gesetzliche Mindestalter für den Alkoholkonsum erreicht haben, Sabrinas charakteristische Johnnie-Walker-Kreation vor: den „Go Go Highball".

Die Sammlerflasche setzt die Geschichte dieser Zusammenarbeit fort und bietet den Fans eine weitere Möglichkeit zum Feiern, während sie gleichzeitig die Verbindung von Johnnie Walker zur Musik als Plattform für Kreativität, Kultur und Fortschritt unterstreicht.

Die limitierte Johnnie Walker Black Label-Flasche „Sabrina Carpenter" wird sowohl in den Größen 70 cl als auch 75 cl (40 % Alkoholgehalt) erhältlich sein, wobei der empfohlene Verkaufspreis dem des Johnnie Walker Black Label entspricht. Es ist ab sofort in Großbritannien erhältlich, bevor es auf weitere Märkte ausgeweitet wird, darunter Mexiko, Indien sowie ausgewählte Märkte in Europa und im asiatisch-pazifischen Raum.

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[1] Quelle: IWSR 2024.

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NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE), the creator and leader of the modern ground lease industry, has closed on a ground lease for the development of an Affordable Housing community in San Antonio, Texas. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit development will provide 336 total units upon delivery in 2028. The project will be developed by The NRP Group, one of the most active developers of Affordable Housing in the United States and a repeat Safehold customer.

"This is a high-quality development in a growing San Antonio market, and we're pleased to partner again with The NRP Group while continuing to expand Safehold's Affordable Housing platform and presence across Texas," said Steve Wylder, Safehold's Head of Investments.

The transaction represents Safehold's first Affordable Housing development in San Antonio, and third across Texas this year. The project is located in southeast San Antonio, within a growing residential core driven by robust population and job growth. It will be supported by tax credit equity from Wells Fargo.

Through its Affordable Housing platform, Safehold has continued to expand its commitment to the Affordable sector, specifically new construction LIHTC developments where its long-term, low-cost ground lease helps to bridge capital structure gaps and move projects forward. To date, Safehold has closed 28 ground leases to support the development of Affordable Housing transactions throughout the United States. Additional information is available at www.safeholdaffordablehousing.com.

About Safehold:

Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE) is revolutionizing real estate ownership by providing a new and better way for owners to unlock the value of the land beneath their buildings. Having created the modern ground lease industry in 2017, Safehold continues to help owners of high quality multifamily, affordable housing, office, industrial, hospitality, student housing, life science and mixed-use properties generate higher returns with less risk. The Company, which is taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT), seeks to deliver safe, growing income and long-term capital appreciation to its shareholders. Additional information on Safehold is available on its website at www.safeholdinc.com.

About The NRP Group:

The NRP Group is a vertically integrated developer, owner, builder, and manager of best-in-class multifamily housing with a mission to create exceptional rental housing communities for individuals and families, regardless of income. Since its founding in 1994, NRP has developed more than 68,000 apartment homes and currently manages over 33,000 residential units. Through its disciplined approach to vetting opportunities, NRP has established a track record of delivering impressive returns for investors. The company's formidable size and depth of talent provide the experience and infrastructure necessary to execute developments of varying degrees of complexity and scope in both urban-infill and suburban locations, including market-rate, affordable, mixed-income, and senior housing. The NRP Group has been consistently named a largest developer and builder in the U.S. on the NMHC "Top 50" lists, the Top 5 on the Multi-Housing News' "Top Multifamily Developers" list, named a Top Affordable Housing Developer by Affordable Housing Finance, and is a five-time recipient of NAHB's Best Multifamily Development Firm of the Year award. The NRP Group has become the top multifamily developer in the U.S. that creates both affordable and market-rate housing at a national scale. Based on over 30 years of experience and expertise, NRP provides construction and property management services to outside owners and developers. For additional information, visit www.nrpgroup.com.

SOURCE Safehold

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