Author: Sai Krishna

Starlight Investments Announces Successful Close of UK BTR Fund II

Total capital commitments of £680 million across Fund II and ancillary investment vehicles will support the acquisition and delivery of over 6,000 homes – as Starlight continues to strengthen its position among the UK’s largest BTR operators

TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Starlight Investments (“Starlight”), a leading global real estate investment and asset management firm, has announced the successful closing of Starlight UK BTR Fund II (“Fund II”).

Fund II, together with capital raised through ancillary investment vehicles, reached £680 million in capital commitments and will support the acquisition and delivery of more than 6,000 build-to-rent (“BTR”) homes across the UK. Fund II is partially deployed and includes three significant rental communities under construction, including two in Manchester and one in Basildon.

Fund II’s successful closing represents a significant milestone in the continued expansion of Starlight’s UK platform and reflects investor confidence in the company’s BTR strategy, operational excellence, and disciplined execution. Fund II attracted strong participation from a diverse group of global institutional investors from across Europe, APAC, and Canada, including both existing limited partners and several new investors. Earlier this year, the Fund also received a major commitment from Homes England’s National Housing Bank, reinforcing the strategy’s alignment with country-wide efforts to increase the supply of much-needed rental housing.

“The successful close of Fund II reflects the strong institutional conviction behind Starlight’s UK residential strategy and the opportunity we continue to see in the market,” said Raj Mehta, President, Global Markets, Starlight Investments. “We are grateful for the continued support of our existing partners and pleased to welcome new investors to the platform. With the capital committed, we are well positioned to continue delivering homes in chronically undersupplied markets across the UK.”

“With Fund II now closed, our focus is on execution and the next phase of growth for our UK residential platform,” said Jonnie Milich, Head of UK Residential, Starlight Investments. “We have built a significant pipeline, an experienced local team and a growing portfolio of communities moving through construction, lease-up and operations. As we continue to advance our pipeline and bring new communities online, our portfolio will place us among the UK’s top four BTR operators by scale.”

Starlight’s broader UK platform is dedicated to the BTR sector, with a vision to deliver thousands of new homes across major regional cities and key London commuter belt markets experiencing pronounced rental housing undersupply. With 12 BTR communities spanning development through to active leasing and operations, the platform is focused on delivering professionally managed rental housing in markets supported by strong rental demand and economic fundamentals.

For more than three decades, Starlight has been a leading global real estate investment and asset management firm, delivering proven performance and responsible management across its real estate strategies. Starlight continues to broaden its global footprint, managing and investing on behalf of institutional partners across several continents.

About Starlight Investments

Starlight Investments is a leading global real estate investment and asset management firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A privately held owner, developer and asset manager of over 70,000 multi-residential suites and over 7 million square feet of commercial property space with CAD $30 billion in AUM, Starlight offers a range of investment vehicles across various real estate strategies. Starlight’s guiding mission is to balance its tenure with visionary curiosity to create positive impact for investors and communities alike. At Starlight, we invest with impact.

Learn more at www.starlightinvest.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

Contacts: Raj Mehta, President, Global Markets, +1-647-725-0498, rmehta@starlightinvest.com; Jonnie Milich, Head, UK Residential, +44-7930-373-945, jmilich@starlightinvest.com; Gwen McGuire, Director, Communications, media@starlightinvest.com

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Shell signs US power plant transactions as part of active portfolio management

HOUSTON, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shell Energy North America (US), L.P. (SENA), a subsidiary of Shell plc (Shell), has signed two transactions as part of its ongoing management of its US power portfolio:

• The acquisition of 100% equity in Hunlock Creek Generating LLC (Hunlock), which owns 169 megawatts (MW) of natural gas-fired generation capacity in Pennsylvania.
• The sale of interests in RISEC Holdings, LLC (RISEC) to Constellation Energy Generation, LLC for $715 million. RISEC owns a 609-MW, two-unit combined cycle gas turbine power plant that serves the New England power market.

“These transactions reflect our dynamic approach to managing our trading portfolio,” said Andrew Smith, Shell’s President of Trading & Supply. “We selectively invest in assets that strengthen our market position and create value, while remaining ready to realize value when market conditions present attractive opportunities.”

The acquisition of Hunlock strengthens Shell’s position in the PJM power market

The acquisition secures supply and capacity offtake for SENA in the Mid-Atlantic power grid operated by PJM Interconnection, the largest wholesale electricity market and grid operator in the USA.

Hunlock and its subsidiary own 169 MW of natural gas-fired generation capacity in Pennsylvania. The asset further strengthens SENA’s position in the PJM market through access to flexible gas-fired generation and reinforces Shell’s continued focus on investing in assets that complement its trading capabilities.

The sale of RISEC enables Shell to realize significant value on an accelerated timeline

SENA’s earlier acquisition of RISEC ensured continued access to the plant’s capacity and associated trading opportunities in the market, enabling SENA to deliver substantial value as part of its asset-backed trading portfolio. With this transaction, SENA will bring forward the return it expected to generate from its longer-term ownership through a significant gain on the sale.

Both transactions are subject to regulatory approvals and are expected to close in the first quarter of 2027.

Notes to editors 

• SENA’s focus is on power markets where it can play to its strengths, including trading and optimization, backed by increased access to battery energy storage systems and flexible power plants.
• PJM Interconnection manages the movement of electricity across 13 US states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 65 million people.
• SENA has maintained an energy conversion agreement with RISEC for the plant’s full electricity output since 2019, which will terminate upon completion of the transaction.
• Hunlock’s portfolio includes a two-unit, 125-MW combined-cycle power plant and a 44-MW simple-cycle peaking plant. Hunlock is currently owned by Riverview Power Holdings LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Castleton Commodities International LLC.
• The Hunlock acquisition is projected to generate returns that exceed Shell’s investment requirements for its power business as outlined at Shell’s Capital Markets Day in 2025.
• SENA is a leading full-service energy company providing a comprehensive suite of solutions to commercial and industrial customers across wholesale and retail power, natural gas and environmental products markets. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with regional hubs across North America, SENA has been active in energy markets for more than 25 years and owns gas-fired generation in some of the largest power markets in the United States.

Cautionary Note

The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this press release “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ”Subsidiaries”, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this press release refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties.  The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

Forward-Looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions, including (without limitation) those concerning Shell’s strategy and operating plans, macroeconomic conditions, future energy demand, supply and product mix, commodity prices, demand for Shell’s products, production results and reserve estimates, development, execution and management of projects, energy transition and climate change, management of safety and environmental risks, costs, cash capital expenditures, technology advancements, legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments, regional conflicts and trading conditions, and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ”anticipate”; “aspire”, “aspiration”, ”believe”; “commit”; “commitment”; ”could”; “desire”; ”estimate”; ”expect”; ”goals”; ”intend”; ”may”; “milestones”; ”objectives”; ”outlook”; ”plan”; ”probably”; ”project”; ”risks”; “schedule”; ”seek”; ”should”; ”target”; “vision”; ”will”; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this press release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks, including climate change; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including tariffs and regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East, and a significant cyber security, data privacy or IT incident; (n) the pace of the energy transition; and (o) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this press release and should be considered by the reader.  Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, September 10, 2026. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Forward-Looking non-GAAP measures

This press release may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as free cash flow and underlying operating expenses. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.  These forward-looking non-GAAP measures are provided to assist readers in understanding management’s use and expectations of such measures and may not be appropriate for other purposes. 

The contents of websites referred to in this press release do not form part of this press release.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this press release that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC.  Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.

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Manulife appoints Sarah Chapman as Global Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer, joining Executive Leadership Team

TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Manulife has appointed Sarah Chapman as Global Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer, effective January 1, 2027, reporting to Phil Witherington, President and Chief Executive Officer, and joining Manulife’s Executive Leadership Team.

Chapman will lead Manulife’s Global Marketing organization, with responsibility for the company’s brand, marketing and enterprise customer experience strategies.

“Sarah is a proven global leader with deep knowledge of our business, customers and enterprise strategy,” said Phil Witherington, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife. “Her appointment reflects the strength of our internal talent pipeline and is the result of thoughtful succession planning. I’m confident her strategic perspective, creativity and strong track record of leading transformation will help us build on our momentum, deepen our customer focus and advance Manulife’s ambition to be the number one choice for customers.”

Chapman currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Manulife Canada and leads the company’s global Digital, Customer Centricity and Sustainability agendas. She previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for Manulife Wealth and Asset Management. Her leadership experience spans marketing strategy, brand, digital, analytics, customer experience and sustainability.

“I’m honoured to take on this role and am excited to help make lives better for more than 37 million customers around the world,” said Chapman. “Manulife has an exceptional Global Marketing team, a trusted brand, and a clear commitment to innovation. I look forward to building on our strong foundation and working with colleagues across the company to deliver meaningful experiences and impact for our customers.”

Chapman succeeds Karen Leggett, who will retire from Manulife at the end of this year, providing for a smooth leadership transition.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping customers make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across Canada, Asia and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we serve individuals, institutions and retirement-plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, we had more than 39,000 employees, over 109,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving more than 36 million customers. We trade as MFC on the Toronto, New York and Philippine stock exchanges and under 945 on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

Media Contact

Brittany Straughn

Global Chief Communications Officer

Brittany_Straughn@jhancock.com

978-621-9116

Arasan furthers MIPI I3C® compliance with its participation at the I3C® interop in Taipei

Arasan Chip Systems, announces its participation at the MIPI I3C^® Interop Session in Taipei with its I3C^® Host IP, I3C^® Dual IP and I3C^® Device IP on Oct 19-20, 2026

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Arasan Chip Systems announces its participation in the I3C^® Interoperability Session to be held at the sidelines of the Member Meeting in Taipei. Arasan will test its I3C^® Host IP, I3C^® Dual Mode IP (supports I3C^® Host & Device) and I3C^® Device IP with other I3C^® interop participants. Arasan will also test its licensable proprietary I3C^® software stack.

Arasan has been a consistent participant in the MIPI I3C^® Interoperability sessions and has participated in multiple such events globally to date. Our participation not only ensures compliance of our I3C^® IP, but also furthers the I3C^® standard through interoperability and compliance among vendors.

“We continue to invest in ensuring the compliance of our portfolio of Total MIPI I3C^® IP through participation at the I3C^® interoperability sessions held by MIPI.” said Prakash Kamath, CTO at Arasan. “Interoperability events also help us build relationships with other participants and we pass on the benefits through delivery of I3C^® specifications compliant products to our licensees.”

The I3C^® HCI™ specification standardizes the interface to enable building of common software drivers. Arasan is testing its I3C^® Host IP compliant to the latest I3C^® HCI™ v1.2 specifications along with its linux software stack and I3C^® HDK which are also available to customers.

Arasan’s I3C^® IP is fully configurable across multiple parameters through simple scripts. Our I3C^® IP has been seamlessly integrated with our MIPI CSI-2^® IP cores along with our C-PHY™ IP and D-PHY™ IP to enable camera sensor control. Sensor and AP vendors can license the entire package of I3C^®, CSI^® and C/D-PHY™ IP from Arasan.

Arasan I3C® IP has been licensed by over 25 companies, is silicon proven and in production on multiple SoC’s. More information on Arasan’s I3C® IP can be found at: https://www.arasan.com/products/mipi/I3C®/

To license Arasan’s Total I3C^® IP including its I3C^® Controller IP, I3C^® PHY IP and I3C^® software stack, please contact bonnie.noufer@arasan.com

About Arasan

Arasan Chip Systems, a contributing member of the MIPI Association since 2005 is a leading provider of IP for mobile storage and mobile connectivity interfaces. Arasan’s high-quality, silicon-proven, Total IP Solutions include digital IP, AMS PHY IP, Verification IP, HDK and Software. Arasan has a focused product portfolio targeting mobile SoC’s. For more information, please visit arasan.com

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Flexsys Announces Global Price Increase for Insoluble Sulfur

AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Effective for all shipments on or after Sep 15, 2026, or as contracts allow, Flexsys is announcing a price increase for all grades and package types of Insoluble Sulfur, of up to 20% in all World Regions. This price increase reflects continued escalation in costs due to ongoing geopolitical events in the Middle East.

About Flexsys

Flexsys is a global specialty chemicals and materials technology company that innovates and produces a range of tire additives with the purpose of enabling tire companies to improve tire performance and manufacturing productivity, while enhancing sustainability through innovation. Based in Akron, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities across North America, South America, Europe and Asia, our global team is committed to the success of our customers.

For additional information about Flexsys, please visit www.flexsys.com

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Iridium, Deutsche Telekom IoT, and Toyota Demonstrate Voice Messaging over Satellite via Iridium NTN Direct

Newly completed roaming agreement extends Deutsche Telekom’s IoT coverage onto Iridium’s satellite network 

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice, data, aircraft surveillance, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite services, and Deutsche Telekom IoT (DT IoT) today announced the successful transmission of a voice message over Iridium NTN Direct℠ in a demonstration with Toyota. The milestone message was sent from a Toyota vehicle equipped with a Nordic Semiconductor nRF9151 development board, a Deutsche Telekom IoT SIM and transmitted entirely via the Iridium satellite network during the Telekom Satellite Day 2026. The demonstration follows the successful completion of technical integration and a global roaming agreement between Iridium and Deutsche Telekom IoT.

“The voice message sent over our network from a Toyota vehicle illustrates how Iridium NTN Direct will enhance consumer and commercial applications for people and assets operating outside traditional coverage areas,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “This demonstration is a glimpse into the future of truly global, standards-based connectivity. Now is the time to begin integrating Iridium NTN Direct.”

The first message sent, “testing, testing, one, two, freeway,” successfully demonstrated standards-based NB-IoT voice messaging over Iridium’s fully operational low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, and was supported by Fraunhofer’s AI-based NESC^® Voice Codec. This capability will extend reliable connectivity beyond terrestrial coverage for automotive, logistics, remote utilities, smart agriculture, emergency response and other IoT applications that need to stay connected wherever they operate. Through Iridium NTN Direct, eligible DT IoT customers using compatible standards-based NB-IoT devices will be able to roam between terrestrial networks and Iridium satellites.

“The future of connectivity does not end where terrestrial networks reach their limits,” said Christian Schwalbe, CEO, Deutsche Telekom IoT. “Together with strong partners such as Iridium and many others, we are connecting mobile communications and satellite to form a global IoT infrastructure that keeps vehicles, machines and people reliably accessible. The demonstration with Toyota shows how technological innovation can be turned into concrete added value for our customers.”

Manfred Lutzky, Head of the Communications Audio Department at Fraunhofer IIS said, “We are very pleased to support this Automotive NTN Voice PoC by providing Fraunhofer’s innovative AI-based NESC Voice Codec. NESC enables reliable, natural sounding and highly intelligible satellite voice services at scale by operating at bitrates of 1 kb/s or less.” He continued, “This demonstration with Iridium, Deutsche Telekom, Toyota and the other partners is a great example of cross-industry collaboration that will help to grow the satellite voice ecosystem.”

With the roaming agreement now completed, Deutsche Telekom IoT customers are poised to take advantage of the commercial availability of Iridium NTN Direct in Q4 2026. Selected European customers are already testing and developing applications on the Iridium network using Deutsche Telekom’s Global SIM.

Unlike regional satellite solutions that rely on cellular spectrum or are limited by geographic availability, Iridium NTN Direct is designed to extend coverage using Iridium’s existing global L-band LEO satellite constellation. The service leverages a network already operating worldwide, providing a path for mobile network operators, chipset manufacturers, and device makers to extend connectivity without building or maintaining additional terrestrial infrastructure.

For Deutsche Telekom IoT, the integration further strengthens its “network of networks” approach: combining terrestrial and non-terrestrial connectivity to provide customers with reliable IoT coverage wherever their assets operate.

For more information about Iridium NTN Direct, visit www.iridium.com/ntn-direct

About Iridium Communications Inc.

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) operates the world’s only truly global mobile satellite network. It serves as a platform for innovation, enabling voice, data, and messaging, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and aircraft surveillance services anywhere on Earth. Through its satellite constellation and integrated capabilities like Aireon, the world’s only space-based air traffic surveillance system, Iridium delivers services that support safety-focused operations across aviation, maritime, government, industrial, and consumer markets. The company is a leader in satellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and is advancing direct-to-device (D2D) communications based on open standards to expand access to satellite services.

Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Iridium innovates through an ecosystem of more than 500 technology and distribution partners, serving millions of customers worldwide. For more information visit www.iridium.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company has based these statements on its current expectations and the information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the capabilities, benefits and availability of the Iridium NTN Direct service. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words “anticipates,” “may,” “can,” “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “likely,” “will,” “to be” and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding the timing of commercial availability of the Iridium NTN Direct service, the company’s ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its satellite constellation, general industry and economic conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 12, 2026, and the company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, filed with the SEC on July 22, 2026, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium’s expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium’s underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium’s forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

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GAC Partners with Villarreal CF to Strengthen European Engagement

VILLARREAL, Spain, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GAC has entered into a strategic partnership with Villarreal CF, becoming the LaLiga club’s Official Automotive Partner. The agreement was signed at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Under the partnership, the GAC logo will appear on the left sleeve of Villarreal CF’s first-team match shirts as the club competes in LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League.

Known as the Yellow Submarine, Villarreal CF is recognized for teamwork, resilience and sustained sporting performance. These qualities align with GAC’s focus on innovation, product quality and continuous improvement, providing a shared foundation for the partnership.

Two key models in GAC’s European lineup, the AION V and AION UT, will feature in related brand and fan activities. The AION V is an electric SUV developed for European families, while the AION UT is a compact electric hatchback designed for everyday mobility. The discipline, teamwork and resilience associated with football reflect the focus on safety, quality and practical usability that guides the development of both vehicles.

GAC and Villarreal CF plan to cooperate across match-related communications, brand experiences and fan engagement. Through football, a sport followed across markets and cultures, GAC aims to build closer connections with European consumers and communicate its positioning as a high-quality, high-tech and reliable mobility brand. Planned activities will combine the club’s reach with opportunities for fans to experience GAC vehicles and learn more about the brand.

Europe is a strategic market in GAC’s international development and an important center for automotive innovation and lower-carbon mobility. The company has advanced its European Market Plan through new product introductions, sales channel development, service support and localized operations. The Villarreal CF partnership adds a consumer engagement platform as GAC works to build a long-term presence and become more closely integrated into local markets.

GAC is also advancing its One GAC 2.0 global strategy across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, the CIS and Latin America. Guided by its Local For Local approach, the company works to integrate into individual markets, serve local customers and create long-term value with local partners. From Latin America to Europe, football partnerships help GAC connect with audiences through a shared interest. GAC will continue to work with international partners to support greener and more intelligent mobility.

For more information about GAC, visit https://www.gacgroup.com/en or follow GAC on social media.

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Augury Introduces Industrial Profile for Google Cloud’s Open Knowledge Format

Open-source profile provides a human-verified layer to capture worker wisdom, process dynamics, and sensor-trust rules for plant-floor AI agents

NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Augury, a leader in Industrial AI, today announced the OKF Industrial Profile, an open-source manufacturing profile of Google Cloud’s Open Knowledge Format (OKF). Designed to address the operational complexity of industrial environments, the profile provides a vendor-neutral standard for structuring plant-floor context, operator heuristics, and sensor-trust policies into human-verified, auditable ground truth for AI agents.

As AI agents are introduced to manufacturing workflows, they face a critical challenge: context fragmentation. Decades of critical operational wisdom, how a process line behaves during cold starts, how an experienced lead handles shift handovers, or when a sensor reading shouldn’t be trusted remain unwritten or locked in legacy silos.

Google Cloud introduced OKF in June 2026 as an open specification for structuring knowledge as lightweight, human- and machine-readable files. Augury is releasing an industrial profile built on top of unmodified OKF, adding the specific conventions manufacturing needs to bring human judgment and operational context into AI reasoning.

“Industrial AI cannot succeed on generic software code or raw machine telemetry alone, it requires real operational context that is human verified,” said Anoop Mohan, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Augury. “The true bottleneck in plant-floor AI isn’t model intelligence; it’s capturing the unwritten wisdom of expert workers before they retire. The OKF Industrial Profile allows manufacturers to structure human experience, cause-and-effect relationships, and sensor-trust policies into version-controlled, auditable files. It gives AI agents the context they need to know when to act, and just as importantly, when not to act.”

A Human Reviewed & Verified Layer That Complements Plant Systems

Existing industrial standards excel at what they were built for: ISA-95 for plant hierarchies and enterprise-to-control integration, ISA-88 for batch procedures and recipe models, and the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) for structured digital-twin data, while modern data lake houses govern data pipelines and semantic data modeling.

The OKF Industrial Profile operates alongside these foundations to solve a distinct problem: standardizing human judgment, provenance, and operational trust rules. Crucially, the profile dynamically references operating limits, setpoints, and live streams directly from their source systems without duplicating values, ensuring operational knowledge never drifts out of sync with physical assets.

The OKF Industrial Profile introduces standard conventions for:

• Human Operational Knowledge with Provenance: Operator heuristics captured with source receipts, verbatim quotes, contributor credentials, and human review status.
• Data-Trust Policies: Explicit rules instructing AI agents how to handle stale or stuck telemetry feeds before making diagnostic recommendations.
• Operational Relationships: Distinguishing actual cause-and-effect drivers from duplicate or redundant sensor signals.
• Standards Mapping: An open convention that maps concepts to identifiers from existing plant-floor standards, such as ISA-95 for equipment or ISA-88 for procedures and works alongside whatever standards a site already uses.

Building on Augury’s Industrial AI Workforce

The OKF Industrial Profile aligns directly with Augury’s Industrial AI Workforce vision: bringing together machine data, operational context, and human expertise so AI agents can work safely alongside plant personnel.

By establishing an open, human-readable and verifiable profile, industrial organizations can structure their know-how once and deploy it across any AI model, framework, or cloud—even remaining fully functional at disconnected edge plant sites.

“When we introduced the Open Knowledge Format, our goal was to establish a vendor-neutral standard for structuring context across enterprise workflows,” said Praveen Rao, Global Head of Manufacturing Industry at Google Cloud. “Augury’s contribution to the industrial profile demonstrates the power of open ecosystems. By unifying human operational expertise, sensor trust rules, and physical context within the OKF, this initiative enables AI agents to deliver safer, more reliable outcomes in manufacturing environments.”

Open Contribution and Availability

To support broad community adoption, Augury is making the OKF Industrial Profile available today in a public repository under the Apache 2.0 license. Augury also intends to contribute the showcase bundle to the upstream OKF open-source project, following the project’s contribution process and the pattern of its existing showcase bundles.

The open release includes:

• An industrial showcase knowledge bundle representing common plant assets and their operational relationships.
• The OKF Industrial Profile conventions and vocabulary documentation.

“In manufacturing, context is physical, mechanical, and deeply tied to worker experience,” added Mohan. “We are contributing this profile openly to the ecosystem because industrial AI shouldn’t be locked inside proprietary walled gardens; open conventions are the only way to achieve true interoperability across the plant floor.”

The OKF Industrial Profile conventions, developer guidelines, and reference bundles will be publicly available at GITHUB : https://github.com/augurysys/okf-industrial

To learn more about Augury’s vision for Industrial AI, visit Augury’s Industrial AI Workforce.

About Augury

A leading Industrial AI company, Augury helps the world’s manufacturers leverage real-time production insights and data to drive new levels of efficiency. By combining predictive and prescriptive technology with operational data and customized AI agents, production teams can improve uptime, reduce costs, and maximize yield and capacity. Our mission is to transform how people and machines work together to push the boundaries of human productivity.

Media Contact

Zoe Hamilton, PANBlast for Augury

zhamilton@panblastpr.com

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IBM and NASA Release Open-Source AI Model to Support Lunar Exploration

• The NASA‑IBM Lunar Foundation Model turns decades of lunar observations into a foundation for discovery, helping scientists surface patterns across data at a scale no single instrument has provided
• The model exceeds widely used methods by up to 23% in identifying key geographic features on the Moon’s surface, including potential ice deposits, craters and volcanic formations, to support a sustained return to the Moon

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) and NASA today announced the open-source release of the NASA‑IBM Lunar Foundation Model, one of the first publicly available foundation models for scientific exploration of the Moon, now available. Trained on an extensive lunar observation dataset curated by IBM and NASA researchers, the model can help scientists turn decades of complex, multi-instrument data into insights to support the establishment of a sustained human presence on the Moon.

The Moon’s topography is ever-changing. Over time, the Moon’s surface has formed craters, distributed ice and even experienced volcanic activity. For decades, sensors and instruments have continuously observed the Moon, generating petabytes of data, but to study the Moon’s surface, scientists need to either sift through maps and images by hand or use low resolution, task specific machine learning models. These methods can be computationally intensive and can lack the degree of scientific accuracy needed to identify and analyze geographic features. The newly released NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model will help researchers accelerate scientific progress by identifying hidden relationships between many different types and resolutions of lunar data.

Researchers could use the NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model to investigate multiple lunar phenomena, including:

• Potential Lunar Ice Deposits: Permanently shadowed regions are among the Moon’s most difficult environments to observe, yet they may contain lunar ice below the surface. Lunar ice indicates the presence of water and oxygen — resources considered essential for a future Moon base and producing rocket fuel for future missions to Mars. The NASA-IBM model combines multimodal and multi-resolution observations to predict where ice may be present on the lunar surface. A NASA-IBM authored technical paper shows that the NASA-IBM model reduced error (RMSE) in identifying areas with high potential for lunar ice up to 22% compared to the SwinV2-B (ImageNet) model.¹
• Volcanic History: Scientists study lunar volcanic features, called Irregular Mare Patches, to better understand the Moon’s volcanic history and thermal evolution. In addition, identifying these changing regions is strategic for future surface operations. Using imperfect labels, the model better captures the extent of the volcanic features than the SwinV2-B (ImageNet model by 3%, bringing comparable accuracy with greater efficiency and lower fine-tuning costs.²
• Crater Detection: Craters are one of the most important and distinguishing features of the Moon and can reveal important clues about its history, such as the age of different terrains, their geology, and the chemical composition of the early lunar interior. Crater mapping also helps NASA select safe landing sites, avoid hazards such as steep slopes and boulders, and plan locations for long-term lunar infrastructure. With the model, researchers can now identify, contextualize, and classify craters at meter-scale resolution with the cited paper showing comparable accuracy as state-of-the-art models like SwinV2-B while offering greater efficiency and lower fine-tuning costs. At context-scale resolution (~100 meters), it outperforms SwinV2-B by nearly 19% using just half the training data.³

“NASA has spent decades building an extraordinary scientific record of the Moon, but collecting data is only part of the job,” said Kevin Murphy, chief science data officer and acting chief data and AI officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We also have to make data easier for scientists to explore and use. The NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model shows what’s possible when we bring AI to NASA’s petabytes of scientific data. That’s a real opportunity we see with AI: turning large-scale data into new discoveries.”

“Uncovering the mysteries of the Moon requires an ability to learn from an extraordinary volume of scientific data,” said Juan Bernabe-Moreno, Director of IBM Research Europe, UK and Ireland. “The NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model gives scientists a foundation to explore the Moon at scale, connecting observations across instruments, revealing patterns that are difficult to see in isolation, and providing an open platform the global research community can build on.”

Despite the wealth of lunar data, no publicly available, unified dataset exists that brings the multi-modal, multi-resolution data into a common framework suitable for modern machine learning. Alongside the model, IBM and NASA scientists built the first open-source lunar dataset of its kind, a unified, machine learning ready lunar dataset aggregating over 30 spatially-aligned layers from nine instruments across four missions. The dataset combines tens of thousands of images and maps showing unique geophysical properties of the lunar surface from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and NASA’s GRAIL mission and incorporated complementary lunar data from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s SELENE/Kaguya for a rich, multi-modal view of the lunar surface and subsurface available for the lunar science community to build on.

The model extends an established IBM and NASA collaboration that transforms valuable scientific data into an openly available foundation for discovery for the entire scientific community. By open sourcing the model, scientists and researchers have access to cutting edge AI systems to accelerate progress in lunar exploration. It joins the Prithvi family of open foundation models, spanning geospatial, weather, heliophysics and now the Moon. Together, these models advance a broader vision: instead of building a new algorithmic system for every scientific question, researchers can start from a shared model and adapt it to new tasks to accelerate discovery across domains.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting delivers open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Media Contacts:



Ashley Peterson

IBM Research Communications

Ashley.peterson@ibm.com 

Maury Chasteau-Simien

IBM Research Communications

Maury@ibm.com 

¹ “Multimodal-Multiresolution Foundation Model for Lunar Remote Sensing”, pg 17 (authored by IBM & NASA)

² “Multimodal-Multiresolution Foundation Model for Lunar Remote Sensing”, pg 17 (authored by IBM & NASA)

³ “Multimodal-Multiresolution Foundation Model for Lunar Remote Sensing”, pg 15 (authored by IBM & NASA)

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Colgate and Kaun Banega Crorepati Champion the Perfect Daily Sign-Off

The collaboration leverages the show’s massive family appeal to turn everyday oral health awareness into actionable habits.

MUMBAI, India, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited and Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18 (KBC 18) have joined forces for the first time ever to create the biggest oral health conversations that can help protect India’s smiles – Two undisputed pioneers that have earned the trust of Indian families across generations.

KBC 18’s core campaign thought, ‘Sochna Padega’, naturally mirrors Colgate’s mission to make Indian families rethink their oral hygiene routines. 9 out of 10 Indians suffer from oral health issues. A simple yet powerful act of brushing at night can help reduce the risk of cavities by 50%. The collaboration between these two icons will help further the awareness of the importance of oral health, turning everyday television viewing into a catalyst for positive habits.

Right as millions of families wind down for bed, the legendary host Amitabh Bachchan, closes each episode in his signature style but this time with a very intentional, unmissable twist – 100 unique sign-offs through the season declaring the message: “Colgate aur KBC dwaara Daant hit mein jaari” (Issued in dental interest).

This integration ensures that the message of nighttime brushing is delivered with the same gravity and trust as the show’s trivia, cementing it as an everyday family ritual. Tune in every night to see what flair the legendary Amitabh Bachchan brings every day; from urging children to don the role of the brush monitor for the day to sharing why when we remember to protect our homes, also remember to protect our smiles!

Gunjit Jain, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited said, “Kaun Banega Crorepati has a unique ability to make knowledge feel personal. Every season, we see how the right choices can open up new possibilities for families. At Colgate, we believe health awareness requires that same level of conscious decision-making. By embedding our core message into the show’s daily narrative, we are bringing oral health conversations into a culturally relevant environment and equipping families to make choices that positively impact their lives and smiles.”

By integrating with KBC 18, Colgate takes this Oral Health Movement out of the bathroom and into the collective family consciousness, ensuring that moments of television knowledge translate into lifelong moments of action.

About Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited

Colgate-Palmolive is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, and the planet. Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited is the market leader in Oral Care in the country, committed to delivering sustainable, profitable growth for its shareholders, while fostering an inclusive workplace for its people. With a primary focus on science-led innovations in Oral Care & Personal Care in the Indian market, the company is recognized for its leadership and innovative efforts in advancing sustainability and community well-being. Among its recent accomplishments, the company has made significant strides in reducing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, conserving water and energy at its manufacturing facilities, empowering women with financial and digital literacy and enhancing children’s oral health through its flagship, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® program.

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