19, Jun 2026
InfoComm 2026: PPDSredefines digital display design with UltraSlimPhilips Signage 7000 Series unveiling in Las Vegas

Half the depth, double the possibilities:At 60 per cent slimmer than comparable models in PPDS’ Philips Signage portfolio, the new, sleek and stylish Philips Signage 7000 Series opens exciting new installation opportunities to partners and customers, packaging 4K UHD visual performance and AI ready processing power with a slender and stylish presentation for almost any setting.

InfoComm 2026: PPDSredefines digital display design with UltraSlimPhilips Signage 7000 Series unveiling in Las Vegas

InfoComm, Amsterdam, June 18: PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips Professional Displays and complementary solutions, is excited to announce the launch of its thinnest and lightest 4K UHD digital signage line to date, with the Philips Signage 7000 Series UltraSlim displaylaunching at InfoComm 2026.

Making its official debut on Philips boothC9000in Las Vegas,the dazzling and unmistakable Philips Signage 7000 Series signals the creation of an exciting new line within PPDS’ evolving digital signage portfolio, opening a wealth of exciting installation opportunities for 24/7 environments where proven quality, unparalleled performance, andvisual aesthetics really matter.

Fuelled and finessed using invaluable feedback from global partners and customers around the world – including those with past and current experience of using comparable competitor offerings – the landscape and portrait mountable UHD Philips Signage 7000 Series UltraSlim comes in a choice of size options, including 43”, 50”, 55” and 65”.

InfoComm 2026: PPDSredefines digital display design with UltraSlimPhilips Signage 7000 Series unveiling in Las Vegas

Thinner, lighter, smarter

Built for versatility and flexibility,the Philips Signage 7000 Series will be available in warehouses from Q4 2026 to support a diverse range of verticals and environments – with retail, corporate, public venues, hospitality, and food and beverage among target markets.

Designed with a depth of just 30mm for the 65” model and 28.5mm on all others, it is an incredible 60 per cent less deepthan its closest Philips Signage counterpart – the Philips Signage 4050Q. The 43”, 50” and 55” models are 10 per cent lighter than their 4050Q size equivalents, and the 65” model weighs 20% less than its 4050Q comparison.

Impossible to ignore, whether used to showcase the latestfashion styles in a retail store or to display mouthwatering menus in a bar or restaurant, allPhilips Signage 7000 Series models bring500 nits brightness inside an elegant11.5mmeven bezel design.

Bart Wouters, International Product Manager at PPDS, commented:“The Philips Signage 7000 Series delivers brilliance and beauty for almost any environment, enhancing and opening new opportunities for an even wider audience. Essentially, it brings all the features you expect from our premium Philips Professional Displays, together with an allnew, ultra slim design.”

Commenting from the showfloor at InfoComm 2026, Andrea Barbuti, Global Product Management Lead EMEA at PPDS, added: “The new Philips Signage 7000 Series marks a new chapter in our signage display design, delivering visually spectacular performance and presentation across an unparalleled range of use cases. With the allnew slimline design, together with reduced weight, the installation opportunities are limitless.”

Beauty inside and out

Internally – mirroring other Android SoC models from PPDS – the Philips Signage 7000 Series comes with the outof thebox features and functionalitiesthat have become standard hallmarks of Philips Professional Displays, allowing each display to be tailored to meet the unique requirements of every customer.

Running on a professional Android 16SoC and with a TOPS 3.0 Neural Processing Unit ready for AI applications,the Philips Signage 7000 Series brings complete reliability and peace of mind to installations, with trusted connectivity and security built in. All while enabling customers to select and install their preferred native Android apps and software directly onto the display.

Unlocking its full power and intelligence still further, the Philips Signage 7000 Series joins PPDS’ portfolio of displays that are compatible with the Philips Wave remote display management platform, puttingusers in complete control.

Saving on costs, energy, and environmental impact via optimised settings, Philips Wave offers simplified installation and setup, monitoring and controlling displays, upgrading firmware, managing playlists, and setting power schedules. Challenges can be overcome quickly and efficiently with the ability to spot issues in real time or even to identify potential problemsbefore they occur.

Philips Wave users also have access to the Philips ProStore, eliminating any concerns around compatibility with selected partner software and applications used in – but not exclusively for – healthcare, corporate, retail, education, hospitality, and more.

For additional peace of mind, the Philips Signage 7000 Series also features PPDS’ FailOver technology, automatically playing backup content on screen in the unlikely event of a primary media player failure, ensuring screens remain active when it matters.

Connected, secure, sustainable

Ideal for presentation settings, such as in meeting rooms, corporate boardrooms and classrooms, the Philips Signage 7000 Series also comes withintegrated Philips SmartBrowser app, which leverages HTML5 to enable managers to set URLs to play as a media source.

Wireless screen sharing is available with optional Philips ScreenShare, while the Philips Signage 7000 Series also provides a full suite of connections, includingHDMI, USB-C, RS232, LAN, USB, WiFi, and Bluetooth, to meet user preferences and promote the reuse of existing cables and equipment.

On the subject of recycling, the Philips Signage 7000 Series adheres to PPDS’ commitment to bringing more sustainable products, using recycled resin for the display’s housing, while significantly reducing plastic used internally, as well as in the packaging.

Andrea Barbuticontinued:“We are not the first manufacturer to launch a slimline digital signage offering, but as a company that prides itself on delivering reliable, versatile, and innovative solutions to market, we wanted to deliver better, rather than to try to win any races in bringing it to market.”

Bart Wouters concluded: “We have bided our time and communicated carefully with customers to ensure we have shaped the Philips Signage 7000 Series around true market needs. We are thrilled with the results and, more importantly, so are our partners and customers, whose insight has played an integral role in its design and development.”

 

 

19, Jun 2026
India Stunned as Germany Clinch FIH Pro League Win

June 19: India produced a spirited performance but fell short against Germany in a closely contested FIH Pro League encounter, despite showing resilience and creating several key scoring opportunities throughout the match.

Both teams started on an aggressive note, with Germany managing to take control in crucial phases of the game. India responded with determined attacking play and solid defensive efforts, keeping the contest competitive until the final stages.

India’s forwards tested the German defence on multiple occasions, while the midfield worked hard to maintain possession and build attacking transitions. However, Germany’s clinical finishing and structured gameplay gave them the edge in the decisive moments of the match.

Despite the result, India’s performance was marked by fighting spirit and tactical discipline, with several positives to take forward in their ongoing Pro League campaign. The team will look to build on this performance as they prepare for upcoming fixtures.

Coaching staff emphasized the importance of converting opportunities and maintaining consistency against top-ranked opponents, noting that such high-intensity matches are crucial for long-term development and preparation.

The encounter adds valuable experience for India as they continue their campaign in the FIH Pro League, with focus now shifting to upcoming matches.

19, Jun 2026
UN Marks International Yoga Day with Global Participation and Wellness Focus

UN Marks International Yoga Day with Global Participation and Wellness Focus

New York, June 19: The United Nations marked International Yoga Day with a global gathering that brought together diplomats, delegates, and wellness practitioners from several countries to highlight the growing global embrace of yoga as a holistic practice for health and well-being.

The event featured guided yoga sessions and demonstrations showcasing traditional practices aimed at improving physical fitness, mental clarity, and emotional balance. Participants underscored yoga’s relevance in promoting healthier lifestyles and managing stress in today’s fast-paced world.

Speakers at the celebration emphasized that yoga has evolved beyond a traditional discipline into a global wellness movement, widely adopted across cultures as part of preventive healthcare and daily well-being routines.

The programme also highlighted yoga’s role in fostering mindfulness, inner harmony, and a sense of collective well-being. Delegates noted that its universal appeal continues to bridge cultural differences and encourage shared approaches to health and wellness.

The observance at the UN reinforced the importance of international cooperation in promoting holistic health practices and sustainable well-being initiatives, reflecting yoga’s enduring contribution to global peace and harmony.

19, Jun 2026
Cement Industry Set for Record Capacity Expansion; Utilisation Seen at 70–71 pc

New Delhi, June 19: India’s cement sector is expected to witness record capacity additions in the coming period, which is likely to keep industry utilisation levels stable in the range of 70–71 per cent, according to a recent industry report.

The report highlights that while cement demand continues to remain strong, supported by sustained infrastructure development, housing growth, and government-led capital expenditure, the simultaneous addition of new production capacities is expected to balance overall utilisation levels.

Analysts noted that demand for cement remains robust, driven by ongoing construction activity across roads, railways, urban infrastructure, and housing projects. However, large-scale capacity expansions by major industry players are likely to prevent a sharp increase in utilisation rates in the near term.

Despite this, the sector’s long-term outlook remains positive, with steady demand visibility supported by India’s infrastructure-led growth trajectory. Continued investments in construction and urban development are expected to sustain consumption momentum.

Experts also believe that stable utilisation levels could help maintain pricing discipline in the market, thereby supporting profitability across key cement manufacturers. Efficient capacity planning and phased expansions are expected to ensure a balanced industry environment.

Overall, the report indicates that India’s cement industry remains well-positioned to support the country’s ongoing economic and infrastructure development while maintaining operational stability.

19, Jun 2026
Fish Oil Supplements May Not Prevent Alzheimer’s-Related Decline

LOS ANGELES: Americans spend more than $1 billion annually on fish oil supplements, in part due to purported cognitive benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids they contain, essential nutrients that help form brain cell connections needed for cognition. 

However, a new Keck Medicine of USCstudy published today in eBioMedicine suggests that increasing omega-3 levels via supplements has little effect on brain health despite showing evidence that the nutrients directly reach the brain.

The two-year, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study of older adults with an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s showed that high doses of omega-3s did not improve memory, cognitive function or brain cell loss in areas of the brain related to Alzheimer’s.

“We all wish there was a silver bullet for preventing Alzheimer’s, but our findings showed that fish oil supplements do not appear to protect brain health,” said Hussein Naji Yassine, MD, director of the USC Center for Personalized Brain Health and lead investigator of the study. “While omega-3s play an important role in forming brain cell connections needed for cognition, our results do not support fish oil supplements as a preventive measure against Alzheimer’s.”

How the study was conducted

Researchers recruited 365 adults, ages 55 to 80 who rarely ate fish, which is rich in omega-3s, and who study authors considered at risk for Alzheimer’s. About half (47%) carried an APOE4 gene, the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s. Participants were randomly chosen to receive either daily fish oil supplements or a placebo. The supplements contained 2,000 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a key omega-3 involved in brain function.

Researchers were first interested to learn whether the omega-3 in the supplement was able to reach the brain. 

They measured DHA levels in cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds the brain, and found an average 17% increase of DHA levels in patients’ brains after six months, confirming the omega-3 reached its intended target.

Next, researchers tested participants’ memory and cognitive abilities at the beginning of the study and again two years later. Study participants who took DHA supplements did no better on the tests than those who took a placebo. Brain scans also showed that supplements did not prevent shrinkage of the hippocampus, a brain region important for memory that is often used as a marker of brain aging and Alzheimer’s risk.

Looking beyond supplements

Now, Yassine and his team are focused on solving why omega-3 supplements can reach the brain but not affect brain health. Based on their previous research, they believe omega-3s may work better as a part of a Mediterranean-style diet, which is naturally rich in omega-3s and linked with lower Alzheimer’s risk, than in a standalone supplement.

“We’re focused on better understanding how the brain processes omega-3s and whether factors, such as poor health, dietary pattern, genetic risk and age, may change the brain’s ability to effectively absorb and use omega-3s,” said Yassine. “We are working to develop medications that may help the brain better utilize these nutrients to preserve cognitive function.”  

Holistic lifestyle remains the best prevention

While out of scope of the study, the researchers stress that overall healthy living — rather than relying on fish oil supplements alone —is the best way to protect brain health. 

“Staying healthy throughout life remains the most powerful tool we have for reducing Alzheimer’s risk, including regular exercise, quality sleep and a balanced diet,” said Yassine. “Living a healthy lifestyle is the brain’s equivalent of getting regular car maintenance and high-quality oil changes. The brain is more likely to lose greater function if health issues in other parts of the body go unaddressed, in the same way that car engines stop working if regular maintenance is skipped.”

Other USC authors for the study include Lina D’Orazio, PhD, a clinical psychologist and neuropsychology specialist with Keck Medicine; Lon Schneider, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC; Michael Harrington, MD, a professor of research neurology at the Keck School; and Meredith Braskie, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at the Keck School.

 
 
 
 
19, Jun 2026
Sambhav Launches First-Ever Sustainability E-Book for Students After Odisha Olympiad Success

Bhubaneswar, June 19: In a pioneering step to promote environmental awareness among schoolchildren, Sambhav has launched a first-of-its-kind E-book on Survival and Sustainability following the successful completion of Odisha’s inaugural Olympiad on Survival and Sustainability in Bhubaneswar.

The Olympiad was held at DAV Public School, Unit-8 Campus, and saw enthusiastic participation from 147 students representing both Odia- and English-medium schools from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The event highlighted growing interest among young learners in environmental issues and sustainable living practices.

As a key outcome of the initiative, Sambhav introduced an interactive digital learning resource titled the “Info-Action Picture Book.” Available in both Odia and English, the E-book is designed to go beyond traditional learning formats by integrating concepts, practical insights, and activity-based guidance. It aims to encourage critical thinking, environmental awareness, and reduced screen dependency through experiential learning approaches.

Students who emerged as winners of the Olympiad were felicitated with certificates and trophies during the 5th Memorial Programme of Padma Professor Radhamohan. In addition, each winner will receive an Experiential Learning Fellowship of ₹10,000, enabling hands-on exposure to nature-based learning and sustainability practices.

Speaking on the occasion, noted environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Sabarmatee said the initiative is intended to inspire children to become active environmental stewards rather than passive learners. She emphasized the importance of nurturing young minds that can think critically, act responsibly, and contribute to environmental protection.

The E-book will be distributed across schools in Odisha to support environmental education and help students develop a deeper understanding of ecology and sustainability. Volunteers Tushar and Prapti, who were instrumental in the initiative, noted that the project aims to bridge classroom learning with real-world environmental action.

Through this initiative, Sambhav hopes to nurture a generation of environmentally conscious students equipped with the knowledge, values, and skills needed to address future sustainability challenges.

19, Jun 2026
Bharat Buildcon 2026 Inaugurated to Boost Construction Sector

New Delhi, June 19: The government on Thursday inaugurated Bharat Buildcon 2026, a major industry platform aimed at deepening engagement and collaboration among builders, developers, and key stakeholders in the construction and infrastructure sector.

The initiative seeks to bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and technical experts to exchange ideas, explore new technologies, and promote best practices in construction and urban development. Officials said the platform will help accelerate knowledge sharing and strengthen coordination within the rapidly growing infrastructure ecosystem.

Bharat Buildcon 2026 is expected to focus on modern construction techniques, sustainable building practices, smart infrastructure solutions, and innovation-driven growth in the real estate and construction sectors. The event will also highlight opportunities for investment and partnership across housing, commercial development, and infrastructure projects.

Government representatives emphasized that the construction sector plays a vital role in driving economic growth, generating employment, and supporting urban transformation. Strengthening industry interaction is expected to improve project efficiency, reduce delays, and enhance overall quality standards.

From an economic perspective, increased collaboration within the construction ecosystem is likely to boost capital formation, stimulate demand across allied industries such as cement, steel, logistics, and engineering, and contribute to broader infrastructure-led growth.

The government reiterated its commitment to fostering a transparent, efficient, and innovation-friendly environment for the construction sector, aligning with its vision of modern and sustainable urban development.

 

19, Jun 2026
Amit Shah Reviews Steps to Strengthen Cooperative Banks and Boost Exports

New Delhi, June 19: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday reviewed a set of ongoing measures aimed at strengthening the cooperative banking sector and enhancing India’s export competitiveness.

Amit Shah Reviews Steps to Strengthen Cooperative Banks and Boost Exports

 Pic Credit: https://x.com/AmitShah

The review focused on improving the financial stability, governance, and operational efficiency of cooperative banks, which play a key role in providing credit support at the grassroots level, especially in rural and semi-urban regions. Discussions also highlighted the need to deepen financial inclusion and expand the reach of cooperative institutions.

Alongside this, the meeting assessed strategies to boost exports by improving global competitiveness, supporting diversification of export products, and ensuring better institutional coordination for trade promotion. Emphasis was placed on enabling stronger linkages between financial institutions and export-oriented industries.

Officials noted that modernising the cooperative sector is essential to strengthening rural credit systems and supporting economic activity at the grassroots level. The Minister underlined the importance of ensuring transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability within cooperative banking institutions.

The review forms part of the government’s broader effort to reinforce the cooperative sector as a pillar of inclusive growth while simultaneously advancing India’s export-led economic expansion.

19, Jun 2026
Barracuda Unveils Integrated Email Protection – An Evolution in Email Security Delivering Cyber Resilience Made Easy for the Agentic AI Era

India, June 19 : Barracuda Networks, Inc., the cyber resilience platform leader making security easy for all size business, unveiled Barracuda Integrated Email Protection, an Integrated Cloud Email Security solution delivering high-efficacy protection against evolving AI-driven threats. Powered by AI, the solution continuously and autonomously detects and remediates threats across the full attack lifecycle, clearly explains Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace verdicts and enables rapid post-delivery message clawback. Built on BarracudaONE® platform telemetry across domains – including email, identity, network, data, and applications – and designed for single and multi-tenant environments, it also enables MSPs to quickly identify, investigate and eliminate risk, simplifying operations, strengthening resilience and accelerating growth.

“Email is no longer a human-centric communication platform; it’s an operational fabric where humans and AI interact, making it a much bigger target and amplifying the speed, scale and impact of attacks when threats go undetected,” said Rohit Ghai, Chief Executive Officer at Barracuda. “In the agentic AI era, effective security requires a platform approach that delivers continuous visibility and response across the full attack lifecycle. Barracuda Integrated Email Protection is fundamentally different because it correlates cross-domain signals in real time and turns them into automated, explainable action partners and customers can trust and control. The result is measurable, high-efficacy protection that stops threats as they evolve and makes cyber resilience dramatically easier.”

Barracuda Research Exposes the Speed and Scale of Modern Email Attacks

New findings released today by Barracuda Research highlight how quickly modern email attacks escalate. A single phishing email progressed to identity theft, multifactor authentication bypass and endpoint compromise in minutes, demonstrating the speed at which attacks move beyond the inbox. These results come from the Barracuda Red Team’s end-to-end recreation of a multi-stage AI-powered attack.

One in seven compromised accounts is now used to launch additional attacks – a figure expected to rise with AI-driven threat automation – fueling lateral movement and expanding risk across identities, systems and data. As threats evolve after delivery and at machine speed, organizations face increasing pressure to understand risk, detect threats and respond in real time.

Modern AI–Powered Security for Today’s Evolving Threats

As email evolves into a high-value data and orchestration layer in the agentic AI era, traditional point-in-time security approaches can no longer keep pace. Barracuda Integrated Email Protection meets this shift with continuous, autonomous full attack lifecycle protection that leverages cross-domain signals to detect, re-evaluate and eliminate threats as they evolve – stopping attacks that emerge or activate long after message delivery. As part of the BarracudaONE platform, the solution also integrates natively with Barracuda Managed XDR and data protection offerings, providing unified visibility, coordinated response and 360-degree resilience across the broader attack surface.

Barracuda’s Bailey™ AI assistant enhances this approach by providing clear, plain-language explanations for every decision and enabling teams to easily review or reverse actions. This gives teams visibility and control to manage every automated action – differentiating Barracuda from opaque, black-box ICES solutions. 

Barracuda pairs autonomous remediation agents with rich, cross-domain telemetry – including threat intelligence, URL activity and BarracudaONE signals – giving agents the context needed to detect and respond to sophisticated, multi-stage attacks. These advanced AI agents deliver breakthrough capabilities that secure evolving email workflows and provide continuous protection against fast-moving, AI-driven threats. New capabilities include:

●Agentic threat investigation and response: AI agents triage threat activity, correlate signals across environments and execute real-time clawback with tenant-wide remediation as threats evolve, eliminating hours of manual cleanup.

●Agentic AI explainability: Bailey unifies Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Barracuda verdicts in one conversational interface and clearly explains how decisions differ across vendor.

●Unified quarantine: Consolidates Microsoft-quarantined emails into Barracuda for faster, safer decisions with automatic rescanning before release.

●Integrated value reporting: Quantifies threats stopped before, during and after delivery, demonstrating measurable protection effectiveness.

Powered by the Barracuda IQ engine and enriched by one of the largest threat intelligence datasets in the industry, spanning hundreds of threat feeds, Barracuda delivers high-efficacy detection by continuously learning from real-world data across hundreds of thousands of customer environments. As part of this intelligence, Barracuda analyzes approximately 1.5 billion URLs each day, proactively identifying threats before users click and strengthening detection accuracy over time.

Barracuda Integrated Email Protection strengthens Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace with full attack lifecycle protection. It easily deploys in minutes via an API-based architecture with no Mail Exchange record changes, mail-flow disruption or manual configuration, delivering immediate, full-lifecycle protection with minimal operational overhead.

Mr. Parag Khurana, Country Manager, India at Barracuda Networks said

 “AI‑driven cyberattacks in India are moving faster than many security stacks can respond. Threat actors can now move from a personalised phishing lure to full account and endpoint compromise within minutes, often bypassing the legacy controls many organisations still rely on.

For CISOs and CIOs, the shift is clear: identity‑driven attacks are too fast for traditional point‑in‑time defences. Security architectures must move from static trust to ongoing behavioural validation. AI‑powered phishing will only become more personalised and harder to detect, and some messages will inevitably reach users. The priority must move to continuous, real‑time detection across email, identity and endpoints with the ability to contain compromised accounts at machine speed.”

Strong Market Response

“Barracuda Email Protection gives us genuine peace of mind in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. It goes beyond stopping attacks at delivery – proactively identifying and removing threats wherever and whenever they appear,” said Scott Harris, Chief Information Officer at TriRx Pharmaceuticals. “These new capabilities set a new standard for modern email security and give us confidence that we’re protected as threats continue to evolve. It’s a true game-changer for safeguarding our people and maintaining resilient operations.”

“Barracuda Integrated Email Protection will bring meaningful efficiency to how we manage email security,” said Ignace Quaghebeur, ICT Manager at Braem NV. “The new single-pane quarantine view lets us easily see and control both Barracuda and Microsoft Defender quarantines in one place, enabling us to strengthen our Microsoft security posture without maintaining two separate systems. It adds a smart, streamlined layer to our workflow that will further reduce operational overhead, improve oversight and support a more consistent, future-ready security posture across our environment.”

19, Jun 2026
Kolkata Metro to Begin Early Morning Services on June 21 for Yoga Day and NEET-UG

Kolkata, June 19: In a passenger-friendly move, Kolkata Metro Railway will commence services from 4:00 a.m. on June 21 to facilitate commuters on the occasion of International Yoga Day and the NEET-UG examination.

The early start has been planned to ensure smooth and timely travel for students appearing for the national medical entrance examination, as well as participants attending Yoga Day events across the city. Officials said the decision aims to reduce travel stress and provide convenient connectivity during peak early morning hours.

Metro authorities have advised passengers to plan their journeys in advance and make use of the additional services being introduced for the day. Security and operational arrangements will be strengthened to manage the expected rise in early morning footfall.

The special schedule reflects Kolkata Metro’s continued focus on passenger convenience, particularly during important national events and examinations, ensuring reliable and efficient urban transport for the city’s commuters.