Accountants and CPAs say goodbye to outsourcing mid-year payroll processing by switching to ezPaycheck payroll software from Halfpricesoft.com.

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Halfpricesoft.com today announced mid-year payroll accommodation features within its flagship ezPaycheck payroll software. The application offers a budget-friendly alternative for accounting professionals and small businesses looking to bring payroll in-house mid-year without losing data or incurring high migration fees.

Download your free 30-day trial of ezPaycheck today to stop paying high outsourcing fees and simplify mid-year payroll processing!

New reports show that CPAs and small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) are saving substantial amounts on operating expenses by switching mid-year to ezPaycheck. Designed for single location businesses and multi-client accounting practices, the software fully accommodates year-to-date (YTD) payroll history imports.

"Our goal is to put payroll control back in the hands of SMBs and accountants," said Dr. Ge, Founder of Halfpricesoft.com. "With ezPaycheck, clients can manage payroll in-house, seamlessly input year-to-date figures at any point in the calendar year, and dramatically reduce overhead costs."

Why Switch to ezPaycheck Mid-Year?

- YTD Payroll Accommodation: Easily input current-year tax and wage data to maintain accurate quarterly and annual reporting without starting from scratch.

- No Monthly Fees: Pay a single upfront cost with no recurring subscription fees, unlimited check printing, and support for unlimited companies.

- Network & Multi-User Discounts: Affordable network editions allow multi-user environments to share data seamlessly while reducing overall software spend.

- In-House Control: Simple, intuitive setup lets businesses manage internal payroll and compliance without relying on costly third-party outsourcing services.

Multi-User Payroll Management Made Easy

For accounting firms and growing businesses requiring access across multiple workstations, ezPaycheck's network edition provides:

- Centralized Payroll Management: Consolidate client or employee records in one accessible location.

- Enhanced Data Security: Protect sensitive financial data with customizable user access controls.

- Flexible Cloud & Server Integration: Share data effortlessly across local servers, Google Cloud, shared folders, or Dropbox for remote and distributed teams.

- Annual Compliance Updates: Automated and timely updates ensure full compliance with evolving federal, state, and local tax regulations.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for ezPaycheck starts at $169 per installation, with tiered discounts available for multi-user and multi-seat orders. Halfpricesoft.com offers a free 30-day trial with complete access to all features (printed checks and forms will display a "TRIAL" watermark during the evaluation period).

Download ezPaycheck Today to Simplify Mid-Year Payroll and End Outsourcing! Visit Halfpricesoft.com to start the free trial.

About Halfpricesoft.com

Halfpricesoft.com is a leading provider of affordable desktop and cloud business software designed for small businesses, accountants, and CPAs. In addition to its flagship ezPaycheck software, the company offers ezW2, ez1099, ez1095, ezCheckPrinting, and ezACH direct deposit solutions to streamline daily financial administration.

SOURCE Halfpricesoft.com

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Maier is a global powerhouse in healthy longevity: one of TIME magazine's top 12 longevity leaders in the worldfor 2026 and co-leader of the team recently named one of the 20 finalists in the $101 million XPRIZE Healthspan competition

MIAMI, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Wellness Summit™ (GWS), the foremost gathering of leaders in the global wellness economy, takes place November 10–13 at Angsana Laguna Phuket in Thailand.

With longevity recently redefining the wellness space and quickly becoming a multi-billion-dollar market and a new consumer mindset, the conference will explore the rapid transformation of this new medical-wellness pillar. In a few short years, we've seen longevity evolve from a niche obsession among tech bros into a mainstream movement, along with a shift of focus from lifespan to healthspan—the number of years lived in good health. The field has also moved beyond protocols designed exclusively for men to interventions specific to women's biology of aging. Longevity has also become more serious: it's no longer just the individual pursuit of wealthy elites, but a new effort by governments to create policies that drive more healthy, productive years in the face of a rapidly aging world. The space now spans everything from complex biotech experiments to the "natural longevity" of the Blue Zones; it's about both the clinical and human connection.

The Summit today announced that Andrea B. Maier, MD, PhD, one of the world's top experts in healthy aging, longevity medicine and precision geroscience, will join the conference to spearhead the exploration of what's next in longevity and healthspan and what it means for the wellness industry. She will keynote on "Health Optimization: Integrating Consumer-Led Health and Precision Geromedicine."

Maier's achievements are extraordinary and her vision is unique. She's professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where she is co-founder and director of the clinical trial center, the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity, leading the team just named one of the 20 finalists in the $101 million XPrize Healthspan competition, which identifies the boldest science and most promising therapeutics helping people to live not just longer, but healthier lives. NSU and Maier's finalist project PROMETHEUS is a new, personalized framework for longevity, using multimodal interventions (lifestyle and diet interventions, a slate of nutraceuticals and repurposed drugs), all precision-prescribed based on the person's specific gerotype and dynamically adapted based on treatment response. Her team will now conduct rigorous trials in advance of the XPrize winner being named in 2030.

Maier is also the author of over 500 peer-reviewed publications, advises influential organizations such as the UN and the World Health Organization, and is professor of gerontology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in The Netherlands. She is founder of Chi Longevity, Asia's first evidence-based longevity medicine clinic, grounded in The Maier Method, which tests people's unique biology (whether their genetic, epigenetic or metabolic measures) to identify precision interventions.

As a longevity scientist, Maier is different. She's passionate about solving longevity's evidence problem. Her methods are firmly grounded in an integrative, medical-wellness approach: precision diet, exercise and psychosocial health interventions are key. And rather than simply providing concierge services to the rich, she works hard to bring longevity medicine to all. She co-founded the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity to conduct the trials needed to give longevity medicine a solid scientific base, to translate that science into real-world, right now solutions, and critically, to train doctors in longevity science. As she has noted, we now have zero capacity to do that and are accepting anyone that calls themselves a "longevity physician"—a dangerous problem that is also making it impossible to grow private clinics and programs. For her deep, innovative body of research, for her commitment to evidence and bringing longevity to the masses, TIME magazine just named her one of the 12 longevity leaders for 2026.

"After seeing Dr. Maier present at the Roundtable of Longevity Clinics at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging last year, I immediately knew that we had to have her drive the discussions on the future of longevity and healthy aging at this year's Summit," said Susie Ellis, GWS chair and CEO. "She is brilliant, an activist for evidence-based, truly integrative and democratic longevity approaches—and brings a much-needed woman's perspective to a male-dominated field. Her work is not about some far-off magic longevity drug, but creating the science-based interventions that can make a difference now."

In addition to keynoting, Maier will lead an intimate "After Dinner Conversation" on November 10.

Maier joins a rich, diverse group of keynotes on the future of longevity and healthspan, including Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zones movement; George Gaitanos, MSc, PhD, chief operating and scientific officer of Chenot Group, which has spent over 50 years redefining conventional thinking on aging at its global wellness resorts; Christopher Asandra, MD, founder and medical director of AsandraMD in California, a precision and age-management medicine leader, with a unique focus on women's longevity; and Tanupol Virunhagarun, MD, CEO of BDMS Wellness Group, a leading preventive healthcare and scientific longevity provider in Thailand.

Apply to attend the Summit now, as rates go up October 1.

Accredited media can apply to attend here.

About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $6.8 trillion global wellness economy. In addition to an annual conference held at a different location around the globe, GWS also hosts annual in-person events such as the Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium, along with virtual gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes and Wellness Sector Spotlights. The organization's Future of Wellness report forecasts the top wellness trends for the year ahead and is oft-quoted in the media. The 20th annual Global Wellness Summit will be held in Phuket, Thailand, November 10-13, 2026.

SOURCE Global Wellness Summit

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Advancing support for foundational learning, patient communication, and continuous learning in clinical pharmaceutical education

TOKYO, Sept. 30, 2026/PRNewswire/ -- The Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science (Location: Tokyo, Japan; President: Yoshihiro Mimaki; TUPLS) and transcosmos inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; Representative Director & Co-president: Masaaki Muta/Takeshi Kamiya; transcosmos) today announced the launch of a joint initiative to optimize "trans-AI Tutor," an AI-powered dialogue-based training tool provided by transcosmos, for pharmacy students and pharmacists and deploy the tool effectively for practical pharmaceutical education. By combining the expertise of TUPLS and transcosmos, the two organizations aim to build a learning environment that enables pharmacy students and pharmacists to deepen their practical learning effectively while promoting the standardization of know-how in medical settings. Starting with support for clinical learning prior to pharmacy practice training, the initiative also looks ahead to supporting responses to advanced and complex clinical cases and incidents, as well as the continuous acquisition and provision of information. Toward a planned release in November 2026, the two parties will begin full-scale preparations for a pilot program targeting fourth-year students at TUPLS.

【Points】

- Practical clinical capability development before pharmacy practice training: Establish an environment where students can repeatedly practice clinical responses through role-play exercises with flexible patient persona settings and faculty-supervised scenarios aligned with the Model Core Curriculum.

- Application to complex and challenging cases: Provide learning opportunities to develop practical response skills through responses to advanced and complex clinical cases and incidents, as well as dialogues with diverse customer personas.

- Visualization of learning progress and feedback design: Enable visualization of learning progress and immediate feedback by incorporating expertise in service quality management and feedback design developed through contact center operations into AI evaluation criteria.

- Continuous learning beyond graduation: Build a foundation that supports continuous learning, from foundational learning for pharmacy students to professional education and ongoing learning after graduation, through the phased deployment of features that provide the latest information, including legislative and regulatory updates.

【Overview】

This initiative aims to implement an integrated learning platform that connects pharmacist education and medical settings through AI. As pharmacists are expected to take on increasingly patient-facing responsibilities toward 2040, students are being called upon to develop practical clinical capabilities before pharmacy practice training, while practicing pharmacists must be prepared to respond to complex clinical cases and incidents and continuously adapt to legislative and regulatory changes. Against this backdrop, by combining TUPLS's educational expertise with transcosmos's expertise in service quality management and feedback design cultivated through contact center operations, the initiative seeks to expand learning opportunities beyond what can be sufficiently provided through role-play exercises conducted solely among faculty members and students, while promoting the standardization of know-how in medical settings.

Specifically, the initiative will establish an environment in which students can repeatedly practice fundamental clinical response skills required before pharmacy practice training, including gathering and providing information, through role-play exercises that allow patient personas to be flexibly configured by age, personality, and medical history. In addition, the project will examine the implementation of functions that enable learners to develop responses to more advanced and complex clinical cases and incidents, provide visualization of learning progress and immediate feedback, and support access to information on future legislative and regulatory updates.

As a result, students will be able to secure practice opportunities tailored to their individual needs while reducing the impact of time and staffing constraints. Faculty members, in turn, will be able to focus more on individualized instruction, curriculum design, and educational activities that deliver greater learning outcomes, rather than being limited to supporting repetitive foundational practice. Over the medium to long term, the initiative envisions expanding the platform into a foundation that consistently supports learning from foundational pharmacy education through continuous learning after graduation. Through implementation and validation in educational settings, TUPLS and X aim to make pharmaceutical education more effective and practice-oriented while contributing to the development of next-generation pharmacists who can respond to an ever-evolving medical environment.

【Comments from project representatives】

Satoshi Takayama, Corporate Executive Officer, transcosmos inc.

Through this initiative, we will combine TUPLS's educational expertise with the expertise in service quality and response quality management that we have cultivated through contact center operations to shape a practical approach to learning support tailored to pharmaceutical education. By transforming learning opportunities and know-how that cannot be sufficiently delivered through human resources alone into practical forms that can be used in educational settings, we aim to contribute to the advancement of pharmaceutical education.

Yoshihiro Mimaki, President, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science

This initiative, which aims to support learning through a single platform, from responding to complex and challenging cases encountered during pharmacy practice training and in professional practice to the continuous learning of the latest legal and regulatory information, is highly significant in that it expands learning opportunities in pharmaceutical education. Through scenarios supervised by practitioner faculty members and AI-powered repetitive practice and automated assessment, we hope to enhance the effectiveness of preparatory training and bring learning that is closely aligned with clinical practice into educational settings.

■ Background to the development of "trans-AI Tutor" and internal use results

"trans-AI Tutor" is a voice-interactive generative AI role-play service developed in-house by transcosmos to address the workload associated with agent training and inconsistencies in response quality in its contact center operations. Traditional role-play training had limited learning effectiveness when conducted among new agents. Moreover, having experienced agents or supervisors act as customers created additional operational burden and workload.

【Internal use results (reference figures)】

Within transcosmos's contact center operations, implementation of the tool increased the number of role-play sessions per trainee agent by approximately sevenfold and replaced training effort equivalent to 2,945 supervisor hours. Additional results included a 50% reduction in training time, a 129% improvement in productivity, and 305 additional successful contracts. This initiative aims to optimize these operational results and insights for pharmaceutical education and apply them in that context.

SOURCE transcosmos inc.

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RBC Capital Markets awarded General Clearing Member status by European Commodity Clearing

Expanded clearing capabilities across European energy and commodity markets

LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- RBC Capital Markets has been awarded General Clearing Member (GCM) status by European Commodity Clearing AG (ECC), the leading clearing house for energy and commodity markets in Europe. This milestone enables the bank to clear and settle transactions on behalf of Non-Clearing Members (NCMs).

RBC Capital Markets has a long-standing commitment to growing its European energy and commodities franchise, and GCM status with ECC marks a meaningful step forward in that journey. Clients, which include some of Europe's largest energy producers, utilities and financial institutions, will benefit from enhanced market access, more robust clearing solutions and deeper support across the energy transition.

As a General Clearing Member, RBC Capital Markets is now authorised to offer a full suite of clearing services across power and gas futures and spot contracts, European Energy Exchange (EEX) carbon auctions and a broader range of products across the wider EEX platform. The expanded offering strengthens the bank's ability to support clients navigating Europe's evolving energy and carbon markets.

What does this mean for RBC's clearing and commodities strategy?

"Becoming a General Clearing Member with ECC is a significant step for our clearing and futures business. It enables us to expand our reach, offer more services to clients and give market participants deeper, more resilient access to European energy and commodity markets. It reflects our commitment to building clearing solutions that meet clients where the market is heading," said Eric Aldous, global head of clearing services and futures, RBC Capital Markets.

"GCM status lets us bring clients the full breadth of commodities markets – from power and natural gas to environmental products and beyond. As Europe's energy landscape evolves, market participants need a partner who can help them manage risk and capture opportunities across the transition. This deepens that support and broadens the products we can clear on their behalf," said Brandon Everhardt, global head of commodities, RBC Capital Markets."

What markets and products does this cover?

EEX is a leading energy exchange that builds secure, successful and sustainable commodities markets worldwide, offering trading in power, natural gas, environmental and freight products, alongside clearing and regulatory services. RBC Capital Markets' GCM status covers clearing across these markets through ECC.

"We're delighted to welcome RBC Capital Markets to ECC as a General Clearing Member, providing the wider trading community with even greater access to the EEX energy and commodity markets. As cleared markets continue to play an important role in managing risk and ensuring efficient, transparent trading, the addition of RBC Capital Markets further strengthens our clearing network."

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 105,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet.

About RBC Capital Markets

The most significant corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms and governments around the globe recognize RBC Capital Markets as an innovative, trusted partner with an in-depth expertise in capital markets, banking and finance. We are well-established in the largest, most mature capital markets across North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, which collectively encompasses 80% of the global investment banking fee pool.

RBC Capital Markets is part of a leading provider of financial services, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Founded in 1864, RBC is Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization. With a strong capital base and consistent financial performance, RBC is among a small group of highly rated global banks. Learn more at rbccm.com.

Media Contact:

Rebecca Smallridge, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

Email: [email protected] | Tel: +44 (0) 7935 205796

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Xinhua Silk Road: 5th Changsha Tourism Development Conference opens in Hunan

BEIJING, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fifth Changsha Tourism Development Conference opened in Changsha County, Changsha City, the capital of China's Hunan Province, on September 29.

The conference featured a diverse range of tourism offerings, including red-themed study tours, ecological wellness tourism, rural leisure, intelligent manufacturing, and convention and exhibition tourism, with the goal of making Changsha a premier destination for "micro-vacations".

With red culture, green ecology, intelligent manufacturing, and openness as its four key themes, Changsha County is creating a new vision for high-quality and integrated tourism development across the region.

The county offers tourism routes connecting a number of distinctive tourism destinations, including the Bancang Resort in Kaihui Town, the Dashali village community in Qingshanpu Town, the Chen Shuxiang red tourism resources in Fulin Town, as well as industrial tourism sites at GAC Aion and the Minghe Industrial Park. These destinations showcase innovative scenarios arising from the integration of culture and tourism.

Six themed side events were also held during the conference, creating a platform to boost tourism consumption.

Changsha has held the tourism development conference for five consecutive years, significantly boosting tourism development and consumption in the city.

In 2025, both tourist arrivals and total tourism spending in Changsha doubled compared with 2021. Spending by inbound tourists increased by more than 40 percent year on year in 2025.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/352408.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road

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LONG-LASTING TOUGHBOOK G3 SETS NEW STANDARDS FOR RUGGED TABLETS

Unrivalled battery life, increased mobility, and edge AI processing makes the G3 the only choice for accessing critical workflows in demanding environments.

WIESBADEN, Germany, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Panasonic TOUGHBOOK G3 delivers a major step forward for rugged tablets. Panasonic's new battery pack structure delivers unrivalled longevity and choice, whilst its lightweight, agile, and modular design is engineered for mobile field users in defence; emergency services; utilities; surveying; manufacturing; logistics; and automotive.

Battery Life Breaks the Mould

Panasonic's new battery technology in the G3 increases battery life by 39%[1], with users able to select three different batteries, delivering 8.5 hours, 17 hours, and 24 hours of usage per charge[2], respectively. The G3's 99Wh battery – the largest capacity battery available in any TOUGHBOOK – is designed for the longest shifts when access to power-hungry, AI-driven applications in the field is a priority.

The G3 also features 'hot-swappable' battery functionality, with an optional new 'bridge' battery enabling seamless switching without turning off the device.

Next-Generation Agility

The G3 delivers lightweight, compact rugged mobility in a versatile form factor. Its 10.1-inch display and portable design make it easy to carry, and use in vehicles, and confined spaces. It is adaptable and agile for any application – whether it's as a conventional tablet; docked in emergency services vehicles, or in forklift trucks in warehouses to streamline supply chain and logistics workflows.

Unrivalled AI Performance

As an advanced TOUGHBOOK AI PC, the G3 delivers next-generation rugged performance with the latest Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 3 platform and features dual-channel RAM[3]. This gives mobile teams the speed, responsiveness and AI-ready foundation to run demanding workflows on Windows 11 Pro. Featuring Copilot+ capabilities, the G3 can collect, store, and analyse mission-critical data at the edge without relying on a continuous cloud connection. 

Robust Connectivity

The G3 features Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, with optional 4G or 5G standalone capabilities. Standalone and private 5G networks are ideal for field workers that need instant connectivity in remote areas. In the defence sector, this level of connectivity is essential for low-latency, high-speed communications.

Renowned Panasonic Reliability and Security

Designed to be benchmarked against IP66[4] standards for dust and water ingress, the G3 has been vibration tested to MIL-STD 810H specifications[5], can survive drops of 180cm, and operates in temperatures between -29°C to 63°C.

As a Windows 11 Secured-core PC, the G3 protects users, devices and data with identity-first authentication. As with all TOUGHBOOK devices, users can configure their G3 fleet with TOUGHBOOK Guard[6]. This embedded firmware-based security continuously validates the device's hardware configuration against an approved baseline. This ensures only authorised components remain active before the OS loads.

[1] When compared to the G2mk3. Tested to MobileMark® 30 benchmark.

[2] Tested to MobileMark® 30 benchmark.

[3] 32GB and 64GB models only.

[4] Currently certified against IP65 standards. IP66 results available in Q4 2026. G2mk3 certified to IP65 standards.

[5] Will be tested by an independent third-party lab following MIL-STD-810H and IEC60529, Sections 13,4, 13.6.2, 14.2.5 and 14.3 in 2026. This performance test does not guarantee against damage or malfunction.

[6] Only available when configured prior to manufacturing.

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LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarenta today announced that Leads To Development (L2D) has joined Clarenta Group following a majority investment, strengthening Clarenta's ability to support biotech and pharmaceutical sponsors from preclinical drug development strategy through first-in-human clinical trials and beyond.

The partnership adds specialist non-clinical development, manufacturing, and regulatory strategy expertise at the critical early stages of drug development.

Based in France, L2D supports innovative biotech and pharmaceutical companies by defining development pathways, gathering and assessing preclinical evidence, initiating and trouble-shooting manufacturing, and creating regulatory strategies that help new therapies progress towards and through the clinic as efficiently as possible.

Together with Clarenta's existing early development consulting expertise and Early Phase Unit, L2D's capabilities strengthen the connection between early scientific strategy and first-in-human clinical research.

L2D joins Clarenta Group shortly after the launch of its new brand identity, marking another significant step in the Group's strategy to build an integrated early development partner for biotech and pharmaceutical sponsors. They will continue to operate from their Paris HQ as a specialist team, supporting existing and new clients while being strengthened by the broader capabilities of Clarenta Group.

Leadership Commentary

"Welcoming L2D into Clarenta Group is an important step in building the company we want Clarenta to be," said Dr. Chris Smyth, CEO of Clarenta. "Our focus is on helping clients navigate complexity from the earliest stages of development. L2D brings deep non-clinical, manufacturing and regulatory expertise that complements our existing strengths and helps sponsors connect the decisions made before the clinic with the realities of early clinical development."

"This exciting partnership allows L2D to remain focused on the specialist non-clinical development expertise that defines us while benefitting from the huge level of clinical experience within the Clarenta Group," said Jonathan Kearsey, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Leads To Development. "Our clients trust us to solve complex scientific and regulatory questions in the early stages of development – working alongside Clarenta enables us to connect those preclinical decisions with clinical strategies that deliver optimal, derisked and successful programmes."

"L2D is a strong strategic fit with Clarenta and the direction in which we are building the Group," said Christopher Backes, Co-Founder of EdgeCap Partners, the majority investor in Clarenta. "The partnership adds specialist expertise at the beginning of the development journey, where better decisions can create meaningful value for clients, while preserving the focus and expertise that have made L2D successful."

About Clarenta

Clarenta, formerly Comac Medical Group, is a European clinical development partner helping biotech and pharmaceutical companies navigate complex clinical development with clarity, foresight and confidence. Clarenta connects early development strategy, regulatory expertise and clinical execution, from studies in its Phase I Unit to clinical delivery across Europe.

About Leads To Development

Based in Paris, France, Leads To Development (L2D) provides specialist non-clinical development and regulatory consultancy alongside hands-on operations support. For over 15 years', they have helped biotech and pharmaceutical companies excel in their early-stage drug development.

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Jiangxi China-Africa Gen-Z Youth Entrepreneurship Competition Concludes Successfully

NANCHANG, China, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Jiangxi International Communication Center(JXICC): On the afternoon of September 29, the Award Ceremony & Entrepreneurship Forum of the Jiangxi China-Africa Gen-Z Youth Entrepreneurship Competition took place in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.

At the event, two outstanding projects, "The Bamboo Bridges China-Africa: Coolness Co-Creation Project" and "Jiangxi-Based Vertical AIGC Digital Collaboration Platform," took the stage, showcasing how youth from China and Africa are using innovation to address real-world needs and sharing development opportunities through collaboration. Following the presentations, guests presented awards to the winning project teams and outstanding mentors.

During a roundtable discussion, representatives from the competition's judging panel, Jiangxi-based enterprises engaged with Africa, Chinese youth, and university career guidance instructors shared insights under the theme "China-Africa Gen Z: Creating New Opportunities for Digital Innovation and Youth Entrepreneurship." Drawing on their respective experience, they discussed how young people from both regions can harness digital technologies to deepen cooperation, foster innovation, and create new entrepreneurial opportunities.

The awards ceremony marked the completion of the 2026 Gen-Z China-Africa Youth Entrepreneurship Platform Series.

Looking ahead, an African youth representative Emmanuel Edward expressed hope that the competition would continue to grow and provide an even stronger platform for youth entrepreneurship between China and Africa. "I am proud to be part of this China-Africa youth journey," Emmanuel Edward said.

The year 2026 marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. In January, the Jiangxi China-Africa Youth Entrepreneurship Alliance was established in Nanchang, alongside the launch of the Jiangxi China-Africa Gen-Z Youth Entrepreneurship Competition. Since its launch, the competition has received 147 eligible entrepreneurial proposals, with 56 percent submitted by teams composed of both Chinese and African youth.

After multiple rounds of evaluation, 16 high-quality projects advanced to the final. Throughout the competition, participating teams received ongoing support. They refined and improved their business plans based on the realities of both Chinese and African markets, enhancing the feasibility and potential of their projects.

After systematic development and refinement, the selected projects advanced to the final pitch. These projects addressed practical needs in China-Africa cooperation, covering areas ranging from people's livelihoods, such as healthcare and vocational training, to industrial sectors including modern agriculture and mining. They combined innovative thinking with strong potential for real-world application. Following intense competition, six projects won first, second, and third prizes, while 10 projects received excellence awards.

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Norge Mining Enters Strategic Partnership With GEM, Including A Share Subscription Facility Of Up To $125m Conditional On Public Listing

Partnership provides access to GEM's international network of government stakeholders and industrial counterparties as Norge Mining advances its strategic and critical raw materials projects

LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Norge Mining Limited, a European strategic and critical raw materials company developing a downstream processing project including elementary phosphorus and a large-scale Norwegian, titanium, vanadium and phosphate resource, announces that it has entered into a strategic partnership with GEM Global Yield LLC SCS, part of Global Emerging Markets, the US$3.4 billion alternative investment group. The partnership advances the prospect of securing a vital and transparent supply of critical minerals for strategic sectors across US, European and allied markets.

The partnership combines financial and strategic support. GEM has committed to provide the Company with a share subscription facility of up to US$125 million (the "Facility"), which becomes available only once the Company's shares are publicly listed. Alongside the Facility, GEM will work with Norge Mining's management to provide access to GEM's international network of government stakeholders and industrial counterparties, including potential offtakers, in support of the Company's business plan.

Financial plan

Norge Mining's upstream Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") has been completed, and more than US$100 million has been invested in the Company's development to date, including exploration, resource definition and technical studies.

The Company is in the process of seeking additional capital to fund the next phase of development, including advancing the upstream and downstream projects to Final Investment Decisions ("FID"). The Facility, which becomes available only following a Listing, is intended to form part of the Company's broader funding strategy alongside other sources of capital.

The Company`s projects

Through its wholly owned Norwegian subsidiary, Norge Mineraler AS, Norge Mining holds mineral extraction rights granted by the Norwegian Directorate of Mining (DMF) covering 26.3 km² in southwest Norway.

The Company has defined approximately 4.6 billion tonnes of JORC-compliant mineral resources containing titanium, vanadium and phosphate inside an area which it considers the largest known igneous phosphate resource globally. The phosphate is characterised by high purity and ultra low levels of Cadmium and Uranium, giving it the potential to serve as a benchmark feedstock for downstream phosphate applications.

Norge Mining is developing a vertically integrated model extending from mining and beneficiation through logistics to downstream chemical processing, with the aim of providing secure and transparent supplies of critical raw materials to European, U.S. and allied markets.

Norway is a founding member of NATO and part of the European single market through the European Economic Area, providing a politically stable jurisdiction closely aligned with both the United States and Europe.

Strategic importance of the resource

Titanium is a critical raw material across numerous industrial applications and new emerging technologies. Vanadium is used in long-duration energy storage, aerospace, defence and steel alloys. Phosphate is fundamental to global agriculture, while phosphorus is increasingly important in defence, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor manufacturing and battery technologies. The co-location of all three in a single mineral system gives Norge Mining the potential to supply several strategic value chains from one European source.

Phosphorus supply is receiving growing policy attention. The United States designated phosphate as a critical mineral in November 2025, and U.S. Executive Order 14387 of 18 February 2026 invoked the Defense Production Act to ensure an adequate supply of elemental phosphorus, citing its importance to military readiness, semiconductors, lithium-ion battery chemistries and food security.

A strategic partnership

For Norge Mining, the partnership is expected to provide support in addition to equity in two areas:

- Government engagement. Support for the Company's engagement with U.S. and allied government entities focused on the security of critical minerals supply chains.

- Industrial partners and offtakers. Introductions to prospective offtakers and downstream industrial partners across the, titanium, vanadium and phosphate value chains in Europe, the United States and allied markets.

Management and partner commentary

John Vergopoulos, CEO of Norge Mining, said:

"Critical minerals are no longer simply a commodity issue; they are a strategic supply-chain issue for governments and industries. At Norge Mining we call our response 'vertical thinking': building an integrated supply chain from the resource in the ground through to the products strategic industries need."

SOURCE Norge Mining

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Dynamic Infrastructure and University of Bath Test How AI Approaches Perform on Real-World Infrastructure

A joint research study compares different AI approaches and tests how well they generalise to infrastructure they have never seen before.

NEW YORK and BATH, England, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynamic Infrastructure, the Engineering AI platform for critical civil assets, today confirmed an ongoing research collaboration with the University of Bath's Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Working with Thomas Kjeldsen, Professor of Hydrology and Water Engineering, the project is being carried out as part of Arline Osorio Moreno's MSc research and explores a practical question with major implications for infrastructure AI: how well different AI approaches hold up on a real engineering task, especially when applied to assets and sites they have never seen before.

The study examines how computer vision can identify infrastructure conditions from inspection images, focusing on blockage and obstruction in drainage assets. A central part of the work is cross-site generalisation: a model that performs well on the sites it was trained on may perform very differently on a network in another region, where construction, camera equipment and inspection practices vary. That gap matters enormously to any agency deciding whether an AI system is reliable enough for real-world use.

To test this, the research compares several families of approach against the same task: vision-language models, vision foundation models, supervised deep learning and classical machine-learning methods. Each carries different trade-offs in accuracy, robustness, how much labelled data it needs and how well it transfers between sites. Early results show strong and meaningful differences between both methods and sites. They also indicate that current frontier vision-language models, despite their broad capabilities, do not yet provide the robustness required for reliable real-world implementation on this specialised task, while more targeted approaches can perform substantially better.

"What stood out to us is how differently the models behave on the same engineering task," said Arik Voronov, AI R&D Lead at Dynamic Infrastructure. "The biggest, most general models are not always the strongest choice here, and more specialised approaches can be much more consistent. The other important question is whether that performance holds up when the model is exposed to different sites, inspection conditions and asset characteristics. That combination — model choice and robustness across real-world variation — is where the interesting picture starts to emerge."

"This project demonstrates the important role that partnerships between academia and industry can play in advancing engineering innovation," said Professor Kjeldsen. "By combining the University of Bath's research expertise with Dynamic Infrastructure's practical knowledge, we are able to test emerging AI technologies against pressing infrastructure challenges. Collaborations like this help ensure that new AI tools are not only scientifically rigorous but also capable of delivering tangible benefits for infrastructure operators and wider society."

This has been an exciting collaboration and the partners intend to continue working together with the aim of developing the work into a peer-reviewed publication.

About Dynamic Infrastructure: Dynamic Infrastructure is the market-leading Engineering AI agent platform and system of record for critical civil assets, managing thousands of structures across 15 states and countries. The platform delivers autonomous risk intelligence to predict deterioration and assess structural health, replacing subjective opinions with data-driven clarity to help prevent catastrophic failures. Led by deep-tech entrepreneurs and industry experts, the company scales engineering judgment to address global budget constraints, the workforce crisis, and the aging infrastructure cliff. For more information, please visit https://diglobal.tech/

About the University of Bath:

The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities, recognised for high-impact research, excellence in education, an outstanding student experience and strong graduate prospects.

- We are ranked among the top 10% of universities globally, placing 125th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

- We are ranked in the top 10 in the Complete University Guide, Guardian University Guide and The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide.

- We are ranked No. 1 in the UK for happiest graduates in The Guardian University Guide.

- The University achieved a triple Gold award in the last Teaching Excellence Framework 2023, the highest awards possible, for both the overall assessment and for student outcomes and student experience. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS).

Research at Bath is shaping a better future through innovation in sustainability, health, and digital technologies. Find out all about our Research with Impact: http://bit.ly/3ISz1Wu

Contact

Leah Stern, Dynamic Infrastructure Media Desk

[email protected] / +44-747-019-6826

SOURCE Dynamic Infrastructure

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