9, Sep 2026
ISCL Season2 Kicks Off with 32 Teams, 127 Matches, and a Bigger Vision for Indian Softball Cricket
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Kolkata, 09 September 2026: The Indian Softball Cricket League (ISCL) opened its second season today, unveiling a national competition nearly triple the size of its debut edition: 32 teams and 127 matches spanning the country. The announcement came at a press event in Bengaluru attended by cricketing icons, league officials, and the organization’s newest commercial partners.
“Two years ago, we were just trying to get people to take softball cricket seriously,” said Dr. Gangadhar Raju, Founder and President of ISCL and the Indian Softball Cricket Foundation (ISCF). “Now we have 32 teams and players from towns most people can’t find on a map. That’s the story of Season 2, it’s not about us anymore, it’s about how far the players have pushed this.”
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who joins fellow international Cricketer Suresh Raina as a Brand Ambassador for the new season, spoke about what drew him to the role. He spoke about the scale of opportunity the expanded format creates, telling the gathering that a bigger league means more young players get a chance at being seen. Something he said which is close to his heart.
The league also confirmed its broadcast and commercial lineup for the season. Sony Sports Network comes onboard a Official Broadcasting Partner, putting ISCL matches in front of a International/National television audience for the first time at this scale. Screenox joins as Official Screening Partner, showcasing ISCL in more than 1500 screens across the country. MyAsia comes in as a Strategy Partner, tasked with helping ISCL grow into a International League as well as a commercially robust sporting property.
“For us at Sony Sports Network, partnerships are about more than just putting a game on television. ISCL has a unique story because it comes from the grassroots and gives players an opportunity to showcase their talent on a bigger platform. With Season 2 growing significantly, we’re excited to be part of this journey and help take the sport to a much wider audience. We hope that our association with ISCL will bring greater visibility to the players, the teams and the game itself, while encouraging more young cricketers across the country to believe that there is a place for them in the sport,” said Kaushik Kalluri, AVP-Sony Sports.
B. H. Anil Kumar, a former IAS officer and Chairman ISCL Pvt Ltd, and Vice Chairman Sanjeev Singh both addressed the media on the league’s plans for professional growth and expansion into new regions. Noorul Ameen, representing MyAsia, laid out the strategic and commercial thinking behind the partnership, framing it as a long-term bet on softball cricket‘s growth in India rather than a one-season sponsorship.
Taken together, the expanded team count, the International/National broad cast tieup, and new partnerships mark ISCL‘s clearest step yet toward becoming a mainstream property in India’s crowded sporting calendar, one built, organizers say, on the same grassroots talent pipeline that got the league here in the first place.
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- By Neel Achary
9, Sep 2026
FPT Brings the Art of Marine Propulsion to the Cannes Yachting Festival
Sept 09: FPT, the Iveco Group company dedicated to the design, production, and sale of powertrains and solutions for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as marine and power generation applications, is ready to cause a sensation once again at the Cannes Yachting Festival alongside its official distributor Bimotor. The event is scheduled for September 8-13, 2026, in the beautiful city of the French Riviera.
Spread between Vieux Port and Port Canto, the Cannes Yachting Festival brings together the world’s most prestigious yachts and beautiful sailing vessels from one end of the legendary Croisette to the other, and it is an unmissable event for the most renowned operators, as well as being the ideal setting to present marine engines dedicated to the recreational segment.
FPT is indeed experiencing exponential growth in interest and customers in this very market area, thanks to the remarkable and world-renowned characteristics of its products: reliability, efficiency, torque density, and high power-to-weight ratio.
One of the emblems of this commercial success is the star of the stand (Palais 079, 32 NU): the N67 570 EVO presented for the first time with the exclusive top cover by Van Orton, the renowned Italian creative duo whose vibrant, impactful pop style is globally recognized. Launched at Agritechnica 2025, the partnership between FPT and Van Orton is now expanding to marine engines as well.
N67 570 EVO – Van Orton top cover limited edition
The new fruit of FPT’s collaboration with Van Orton is a striking engine cover, made by employing their peculiar, kaleidoscopic perspective to create a unique visual narrative, inspired by the groundbreaking Pop Art movement of artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. The result masterfully blends precision engineering with artistic vision, giving the usually “undercover” FPT engines one more reason to be admired.
N67 570 EVO – Best-in-class performance in its power range
With its 6.7-liter displacement, the N67 570 EVO marine engine generates up to 419 kW, delivering maximum torque at low RPMs and rapid load response, setting performance benchmarks in its category. Purpose-built for marine applications, its architecture features engine and turbocharging cooling systems tailored specifically for maritime operations. To simplify installation, key components – including the oil cooler, oil pump, water pump, and blow-by system – are fully integrated into the engine design. Maintenance is made straightforward via advanced diagnostics, while extended oil and filter service intervals of up to 300 hours significantly reduce downtime.
N67 570 EVO – Technical Specifications
Cylinder layout: 6L
Turbocharger: TCA
Displacement [liters]: 6.7
Injection system: Common Rail
Max power [hp @ rpm]: 570 @ 3000
Dry weight [kg]: 721
Full specifications are available
on the FPT website.
FPT has had a presence in the marine propulsion market since 1965, offering a complete range of class-leading engines with displacements from 3 to 15.9 liters, and rated engine power of between 85 and 1,000 hp, while the specific yacht lineup ranges from 230 to 1,000 hp. Designed to power vessels from 8 to 24 meters, FPT’s range of marine engines meets the requirements of a wide range of boat types, from pleasure boats to light-, medium- and heavy-duty vessels.
Every day in Italy, two new boats powered by FPT marine engines are launched. The presence of over 200 service points in the Mediterranean area is a strong guarantee of continuous support and a prompt response to any issues.
FPT is a brand of Iveco Group N.V. (EXM: IVG), dedicated to the design, production, and sale of powertrains and solutions for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as marine and power generation applications. Over 8,000 people across ten production sites and ten R&D centers work for FPT all around the world. Active in nearly 100 different countries, its global sales and its Customer Service department supports all Brand customers. The extensive product offering includes six engine ranges with power outputs from 30 hp to over 1,000 hp, transmissions with torque up to 500 Nm, and front and rear axles from 2.45 to 32 tonne GAW (Gross Axle Weight). FPT offers the most complete line-up of natural gas engines for industrial applications on the market, with power outputs ranging from 50 to 520 hp. A dedicated ePowertrain division is accelerating the path towards net zero-emissions mobility, with electric drivelines, battery packs, and battery management systems. This extensive offering, and its strong focus on R&D, makes FPT a world leader in industrial powertrains and solutions. For more information, visit www.fptindustrial.com.
9, Sep 2026
Honasa Consumer Limited Elevates Nishchay Bahl as Chief Business Officer – Offline
Gurugram, Sep 09: Honasa Consumer Limited, India’s beauty and personal care company, today announced the elevation of Nishchay Bahl to Chief Business Officer – Offline. In his new role, Bahl will lead the company’s offline business across General Trade, Modern Trade and other channels, with a mandate to accelerate growth, expand distribution and strengthen the presence of Honasa’s brands across markets and categories.
Bahl takes on the role after serving as Senior Vice President – Offline Revenue for close to three years, where he played a key role in scaling Honasa’s offline presence, strengthening relationships with trade partners and expanding distribution across markets. He has also been closely involved in Project Neev, an initiative focused on strengthening Honasa’s General Trade business through sharper market execution, stronger partner engagement and a renewed focus on distribution.
Commenting on the elevation, Varun Alagh, Co-founder & CEO, Honasa Consumer Limited, said,
“At Honasa, we believe in building leaders from within and giving people the opportunity to grow with the business. Nishchay has demonstrated strong leadership in transforming and scaling our offline business, while building the capabilities and partnerships required to support the next phase of growth. His ability to combine strategic thinking with strong execution, along with his understanding of our brands, consumers and trade ecosystem, has been instrumental in this journey. As we look to further strengthen our offline presence and scale our brands across India, I am confident that Nishchay will continue to create meaningful impact in this larger role.”
Speaking on his elevation, Nishchay Bahl, Chief Business Officer – Offline, Honasa Consumer Limited, said,
“The last three years have been an exciting and transformative phase for Honasa’s offline business. We have worked closely with our teams and partners to strengthen the fundamentals of General Trade and Modern Trade, rebuild our distribution network and create a stronger foundation for growth. Project Neev has been an important part of this journey, helping us strengthen our partnerships and build a stronger General Trade base. Going forward, our focus will be on building on these foundations to gain share across categories, strengthen our distribution footprint and improve the availability and visibility of our brands across markets. With our brands reaching consumers across the country, there is an opportunity to deepen our presence in priority markets, improve outlet productivity and strengthen our positions across General Trade, Modern Trade and other channels. I look forward to working with our teams and partners to translate this opportunity into sustained, profitable growth.”
Bahl brings over 17 years of experience across FMCG and consumer businesses, with expertise spanning sales, commercial strategy, go-to-market execution, General Trade, Modern Trade, eCommerce and business development. Prior to joining Honasa, he served as Chief Business Officer – Offline at The Good Glamm Group. Earlier, at Reckitt, he served as E-commerce Director – South Asia, leading the company’s eCommerce agenda across the region. He has also held leadership positions at Reckitt and Britannia Industries, managing multiple channels across diverse consumer categories, including General Trade, Modern Trade, eCommerce and key accounts.
An alumnus of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, Bahl’s experience spans multiple consumer categories and channels, with a strong focus on distribution, channel strategy and commercial execution.
9, Sep 2026
AAEON Release Micro-ATX Duo with Intel Core Ultra Desktop Processors
The MAX-Q870A and MAX-H810A showcase AAEON’s agile approach to supporting diverse market needs.
Taipei, Taiwan – Sept 9: AAEON (Stock Code: 6579), announced the release of two new Micro-ATX industrial motherboards featuring Intel® Core™ Ultra 200S Series Processors (formerly Arrow Lake-S), the MAX-Q870A and MAX-H810A.
The two boards are compatible with a range of Arrow Lake-S CPUs, with the MAX-Q870A supporting up to 125W SKUs and the MAX-H810A supporting up to 65W SKUs. This difference reflects the market positioning of the two boards, with the former marketed for advanced AI and machine vision use and the latter for more cost-efficient industrial automation and HMI applications.
The MAX-Q870A provides four CU/U-DIMM slots for up to 256GB DDR5, with storage options including two M.2 M-Key slots with NVMe support and two SATA 6Gb/s ports with RAID 0, 1, 5 support. The board also provides simultaneous support for four PCIe devices through one PCIe Gen 5 x16, two PCIe Gen 4 x4, and one PCIe Gen 4 x1 slot. For both Wi-Fi and 5G module support, the board offers an M.2 E-Key slot with CNVi support and M.2 B-Key slot.
The board’s rear I/O features three LAN ports, two of which run at 2.5GbE speed, six USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A) ports, and one DB-9 port for RS-232/422/485. Joining these are four physical display outputs, two HDMI 2.1 and two DP 1.4a, all of which grant 4K resolution at 60 Hz. On top of this, the MAX-Q870A’s internal connectors grant access to a co-lay 40-pin LVDS/eDP connector. Additional internal I/Os include pin headers for an additional eight USB, a box header for five RS-232 interfaces, and a DIO 8-bit.
The MAX-H810A, meanwhile, is designed to deliver the essential features required for modern industrial automation and HMI applications at a cost-efficient price point. In addition to its Arrow Lake processor support, the board can host up to 128GB DDR5 via two CU/U-DIMM slots, with storage available through dual SATA 6Gb/s ports with RAID 0, 1 support and an M.2 M-Key slot. For expansion, the board comes with PCIe Gen 5 x16, PCIe Gen 4 x4, and PCIe Gen 4 x1 slots, as well as an M.2 E-Key for wireless module support.
The MAX-H810A’s rear I/O features two USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 (10Gbps), two USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 (5Gbps), and two USB 2.0 ports. Alongside these are dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, both HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4a, and a DB-9 port for RS-232/422/485. The board also offers the same LVDS/eDP connector, DIO 8-bit, and box header for five RS-232 interfaces as its counterpart, with six USB 2.0 interfaces also available through pin headers.
Both the MAX-Q870A and MAX-H810A support Windows® 11 and Linux Ubuntu 24.04.2, and hold the unusual distinction of -20°C to 60°C operating temperature ranges, an upgrade on the 0°C to 60°C for AAEON’s previous Micro-ATX offerings.
Both platforms are now in mass production, with samples available via the AAEON eShop.
9, Sep 2026
BRICS Summit Can Turn India’s Global South Partnerships into New Business Opportunities
New Delhi, Sep 9: India’s upcoming BRICS Summit can provide a strong platform to turn its growing engagement with the Global South into greater trade, investment and business opportunities, industry representatives said.
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13, with trade, finance, technology, investment and economic cooperation among the key areas of discussion.
Industry leaders believe India should use its BRICS presidency to move beyond diplomatic engagement and create practical opportunities for businesses. Greater cooperation among emerging economies could help Indian companies access new markets, attract investment and build stronger international partnerships.
The focus could include easier trade procedures, stronger supply chains, improved access to finance and greater cooperation in areas such as manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture and renewable energy.
For Indian businesses, deeper engagement with Global South economies could open new avenues for exports and investment at a time when companies are looking to diversify markets and reduce dependence on traditional trade routes.
Digital technology could also play an important role. Cooperation in digital payments, trade finance and technology can make cross-border transactions easier and create new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses. Discussions around the BRICS Economic Partnership 2030 are also expected to focus on trade, investment, supply-chain integration and financial cooperation.
The industry view is that the real value of the summit will depend on how effectively agreements and partnerships are converted into business activity. Greater connectivity among BRICS economies could help Indian companies expand their international presence while attracting more foreign investment into the country.
With India hosting the summit, the event provides an opportunity to strengthen its role as a bridge between major emerging economies and translate its growing Global South partnerships into tangible economic gains.
9, Sep 2026
TUTK Helps Indian Security Customers Achieve STQC Cybersecurity Certification
Secure P2P Connectivity, Cloud Governance, and Flexible Deployment Support Compliance and Market Expansion in India
TAIPEI and NEW DELHI, India, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TUTK, a global cloud platform and connectivity service provider, today announced that security devices from its customers in India, powered by TUTK’s patented P2P connectivity and cloud technologies, have successfully passed cybersecurity assessments conducted by India’s Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate.
As India strengthens cybersecurity, data governance, and supply-chain requirements for video surveillance products, STQC compliance has become increasingly important for vendors targeting government, public-sector, and smart-infrastructure projects. The successful assessments demonstrate how TUTK’s secure connectivity and cloud architecture can help security device manufacturers meet evolving cybersecurity requirements while accelerating market deployment.
Secure P2P Connectivity for Devices and Video
Remote video surveillance introduces potential security risks across device pairing, NAT traversal, session establishment, and video transmission. Addressing these risks requires multiple layers of protection, including secure device authentication, encrypted communications, session management, relay security, brute-force protection, and software supply-chain transparency.
TUTK’s patented P2P technology uses device authentication and certificate binding to reduce the risk of unauthorized device registration and connection hijacking. DTLS/SRTP-based encryption further protects connection establishment and live video transmission.
When NAT or firewall restrictions prevent direct P2P connections, TUTK Relay services maintain remote connectivity while keeping video and data encrypted in transit.
From SDK Security to Cloud Governance
TUTK provides documentation covering P2P SDK provenance, maintenance, and security controls, while supporting device manufacturers in implementing access control, connection logging, and device-level security policies. Together, these capabilities help address supply-chain transparency requirements and establish multilayer protection across devices, connectivity, software, and cloud services.
TUTK’s cloud architecture also supports access control, encrypted transmission, operational logging, and audit trails. Deployment models can be tailored to customer requirements for data residency, access management, and operational governance.
By integrating device connectivity and cloud management within a unified architecture, security vendors can simplify system integration, improve visibility into device and service operations, and build a scalable foundation for future device expansion.
Flexible Deployment for Compliance and Faster Time to Market
TUTK provides modular deployment options to address different security, operational, and compliance requirements:
- Private Deployment: Deploy P2P infrastructure in the customer’s own data center or designated private cloud for greater control over data, systems, and operations.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): Use TUTK’s managed cloud infrastructure to reduce deployment and maintenance complexity while scaling with device and connection volumes.
P2P connectivity, Relay services, and cloud management can be deployed independently or combined according to each customer’s requirements, helping vendors balance compliance, operational control, infrastructure investment, and time to market.
Supporting Security Vendors in India and Global Markets
As cybersecurity requirements continue to evolve, secure device connectivity, encrypted transmission, software supply-chain transparency, and cloud governance are becoming essential for security manufacturers entering regulated markets.
TUTK will continue working with camera, NVR, and other security device manufacturers to integrate secure connectivity and cloud services, streamline validation and deployment, and support expansion in India and other global markets.
Contact:
Yi-Ching, Chen
Marketing.en@tutk.com
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9, Sep 2026
Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM Team Advance to Finals for 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize
Joint research team modeled a 12,635-atom protein, the largest-known to be simulated using quantum computers.
Breakthrough was achieved through quantum and classical methods working together, expanding quantum-centric supercomputing’s potential in life sciences research.
CLEVELAND and WAKO, Japan and YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y., Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A multidisciplinary team from Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM (NYSE: IBM) has been named as a finalist for the 2026 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Gordon Bell Prize for simulating the largest biologically meaningful molecules ever modeled with quantum computers, reaching a scale of 12,635 atoms. To achieve these results, the team united the strengths of quantum and classical computing methods in a framework known as quantum-centric supercomputing.
The ACM Gordon Bell Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in high-performance computing and is one of the field’s most prestigious honors. The 2026 winner will be announced at the International Conference for High-Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC26), taking place Nov. 15–20, 2026 in Chicago.
The origins of the project are rooted in the team’s investigation into how computation in drug discovery can be improved. Doing so rests on two fundamental challenges: first, modeling the movement of atoms as biological processes unfold; and second, accurately computing their energies. Particularly the second challenge is well-suited for quantum computers, which operate by the laws of quantum mechanics.
In the work, initially published in May 2026, the team calculated the electronic structure of two large protein complexes using the IBM Quantum Heron processors running within the IBM quantum computers at Cleveland Clinic in the United States and RIKEN in Japan. The calculations were executed alongside two of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, Fugaku at RIKEN and Miyabi-G, which is operated by the University of Tokyo and University of Tsukuba. The quantum computers used up to 94 qubits to run nearly 6,000 quantum operations within certain parts of the problem, which was essential to the computation’s accuracy and success. Fugaku and Miyabi-G were used to reassemble the results and allow the team to gain a complete representation of each molecule.
The results reflect the team’s innovative approach alongside the rapid maturation of quantum computing. Using the sample-based quantum diagonalization by IBM and RIKEN (featured on the cover of Science Advances) along with embedded wavefunction methods adapted by Cleveland Clinic to the question at hand, the team was able to report the first-known simulation of a 303-atom protein achieved with quantum computers. Less than a year later, the team first scaled their method roughly 40 times while also achieving 210 times improvement in accuracy. In updated results recently published in September, the team advanced the work even further. Most notably, they were able to further improve the accuracy of their computations of the binding energies of the molecular system, which reflect how tightly the molecules are bound together and can predict how they could interact with other systems.
In addition, the team validated the workflow on a third supercomputer, JHPC-quantum GPU supercomputer “ROQUO,” RIKEN’s newest system in a way that eliminated the need for complex manual operations and data transfers – pointing toward faster, more accessible research. By orchestrating CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs together, the team minimized the need for manual transfers and further reduced errors — an early demonstration of how classical and quantum computing can work in concert on complex scientific problems.
Taken together with the earlier results, these updates reflect continued progress on both the accuracy of computed binding energies and the time-to-solution enabled by the automated workflow.
The quantum-classical techniques developed by the team continues to reduce the computational overhead required to directly represent the chemistry of molecular systems with accuracy and is pushing the frontiers of what is possible with quantum-centric supercomputing in the field. The work has demonstrated a path to further increase the accuracy of how molecular system can be calculated and is a step towards helping researchers better predict how medicines may interact with protein targets.
The research team includes Kenneth Merz Jr, Akhil Shajan, Danil Kaliakin, Fangchun Liang of Cleveland Clinic, Yuichi Otsuka, Tomonori Shirakawa, Lukas Broers, Han Xu, Miwako Tsuji, Mitsuhisa Sato, Seiji Yunoki of RIKEN Center for Computational Science, and Ryo Wakizaka, Yukio Kawashima, Jun Doi, Hitomi Takahashi, Toshinari Itoko, Hiroshi Horii, Thaddeus Pellegrini, Javier Robledo Moreno, Kevin J. Sung, Ella Fejer, Robert Walkup, Seetharami Seelam, Mario Motta of IBM.
To read the full study, visit: https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01138
Research Support
This research is supported by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), an organization under the jurisdiction of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s “Research and Development of Quantum-Supercomputers Hybrid Platform for Exploration of Uncharted Computable Capabilities” (Project Leader: Mitsuhisa Sato) as part of the “Project for Research and Development of Enhanced Infrastructures for Post 5G Information and Communications Systems (JPNP20017).”
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation, Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 83,000 employees worldwide are more than 6,600 salaried physicians and researchers, and 21,900 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,725-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 300 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2025, there were 15.9 million outpatient encounters, 343,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 336,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at x.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
About RIKEN
RIKEN is Japan’s leading national comprehensive research institute in the natural sciences, conducting research across a broad range of fields including physics, engineering, chemistry, mathematical and information sciences, computational science, biology, and medical science. The RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) operates the world-class supercomputer Fugaku, providing computing resources to a wide range of users in universities, research institutions, and industry, and carries out research and development under the banner of “The Science of computing, by computing, and for computing”, contributing to the advancement of computational science and computer science.
For more information, visit https://www.riken.jp/en/.
About IBM
IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, helping 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 governments 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 business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.
For more information, visit https://research.ibm.com.
Media contacts
Alicia Reale-Cooney
Cleveland Clinic
realeca@ccf.org
216.408.7444
R-CCS, Computational Science Promotion Division Outreach Group
r-ccs-koho@ml.riken.jp
Danielle Cerasani Estevez
IBM Research Communications
dcerasani@ibm.com
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9, Sep 2026
TerraPay Connects its Wallet Interoperability Network, Xend to Alipay+, Strengthening Global Payments Interoperability
DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TerraPay, a global money movement company, and Alipay+, Ant International’s unified wallet gateway, today announced a strategic partnership to enable seamless cross-border QR payments for digital wallets, significantly enhancing global payments interoperability for users across Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
In the initial phase, 15 of the digital wallets across Africa that are connected to Xend, TerraPay’s wallet interoperability network, will be able to pay at more than 150 million merchants across Alipay+’s global merchant ecosystem. The partnership also expands TerraPay’s cross-border payment capabilities from account-to-account to global in-store acceptance.
Pay Like a Local, anywhere in the World
Many continue to face friction when transacting across borders. While their digital wallet works seamlessly locally, often when travelling, they revert to cash, foreign exchange counters, and payment methods that feel unfamiliar and costly.
Through the Xend, TerraPay’s wallet interoperability network, wallet partners across the world piloting with Africa, can enable their users to pay directly at Alipay+’s global merchant ecosystem. Wallet users can simply scan a QR code to pay, using the same wallet they already trust.
“The home wallet on your phone, that is from Kenya or Colombia or any country, should work the same way in Singapore or China or anywhere in the world, as easily as it does at home,” said Ambar Sur, Founder and CEO, TerraPay. “That’s the promise of Xend. This partnership with Alipay+ is a major step toward making cross-border wallet payments as natural as paying locally.”
Supporting a growing mobile economy
As digital wallets become the preferred payment option, users increasingly expect their trusted financial interfaces to work seamlessly across borders, merchants, and payment ecosystems. Wallet providers have built powerful domestic ecosystems – loyal users, trusted rails, meaningful scale, yet cross-border utility remains limited.
Xend, TerraPay’s wallet interoperability network solves this by connecting to a global ecosystem, via Alipay+, through a single integration, enabling wallet providers to offer their customers something genuinely new: the ability to spend internationally, without switching apps or carrying cards. Alipay+ connects over 50 international payment partners to more than 150 million merchants across 220 destination markets, including through over 10 national payment systems.
“By bringing TerraPay’s network of wallets to Alipay+, we’re helping more people and businesses connect across borders, creating new pathways for growth, and unlocking new opportunities,” said Edward Yue, General Manager of Alipay+ Global Power Center, Ant International. “This reflects our joint commitment towards a more connected and inclusive global commerce ecosystem.”
Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider, offering a unified techfin platform supporting financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth. It’s unified wallet gateway, Alipay+, provides cross-border payment and digital services that help connect global merchants to consumers.
About TerraPay
TerraPay simplifies global money movement, providing a single connection to one of the most expansive cross-border payment networks, regulated across multiple markets. Our network enables payments to receiving and sending countries worldwide, reaching a vast network of mobile wallets, bank accounts, and cards. We make money transfers instant, reliable, transparent, and fully compliant for its partners, connecting them to 7.5Bn+ bank accounts, in 156+ countries. We work behind the scenes as the trusted partners for some of the world’s most innovative financial players, from banks and digital wallets to MTOs, corporates and fintech platforms. On a mission to create a borderless financial world, TerraPay launched Xend – the first-of-its-kind wallet interoperability network, enabling secure, real-time cross-border payments, to and from 3.7B wallets through a single, unified connection. TerraPay is headquartered in London, with offices in cities including, Dubai, Miami, Milan, Singapore, Bogota, Johannesburg, Kampala, Bangalore.
Learn more at www.terrapay.com
About Alipay+
Ant International’s Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
Media Contacts
TerraPay: juveria.n@terrapay.com
Ant International / Alipay+: pr@ant-intl.com
Forward-looking statements in this release are subject to risks and uncertainties. Transaction volumes and network reach figures are approximate and subject to change.
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9, Sep 2026
UPI Drives India’s Fintech Growth, PM Modi Highlights Global Potential
Mumbai, Sep 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a major success of India’s fintech journey, highlighting its growing use in the country and its expanding presence overseas.
Speaking at the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai, PM Modi said UPI has changed the way people make payments and has helped bring digital financial services to millions of people who were earlier outside the traditional banking system.
More than 24 billion UPI transactions were recorded in August alone, showing the growing role of digital payments in everyday transactions across India.
The Prime Minister said UPI is now available in 11 countries, creating new opportunities for easier international payments. He also called for stronger links between UPI and the payment systems of countries where large Indian communities live or where India has significant trade.
Greater integration of digital payment systems could make cross-border transactions faster and cheaper, particularly for Indians sending money to their families in India.
The growing international use of UPI is also expected to benefit Indian businesses by making digital payments more convenient for travellers, customers and companies involved in cross-border trade.
PM Modi’s remarks highlight how India’s digital payment ecosystem is moving beyond domestic transactions and becoming an important part of the country’s global fintech ambitions.
9, Sep 2026
Casio to Release G-SHOCK Featuring Refined Metal Beauty with Multi-Component Construction
Nano-Processing Technology Used to Create a Lustrous Three-Dimensional Dial
TOKYO, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Casio Computer Co., Ltd. announced today the release of a new addition to the G-STEEL line of G-SHOCK shock-resistant watches. Combining signature G-SHOCK toughness with a sleek metal exterior, the new GST-W1000 brings out the beauty of metal with a multi-component construction featuring different finishes applied to individual surfaces.
Ever since its debut in 1983, G-SHOCK timepieces have been delivering innovation in functionality, construction, and design, with shock-resistant construction at their core. The G-STEEL line features metal watches that express toughness using advanced metalworking technologies, with particular attention to form and finish.
The new GST-W1000 is a shock-resistant watch that accentuates the textural appeal of the metal by using multiple individually finished components. The exterior employs a new construction that combines four carefully finished metal components instead of using a single bezel component to cover the center case. In addition, the innovative exterior design conceals the mounting screws on the sides while maintaining shock resistance, creating an integrated appearance from the bezel to the bracelet. Four distinct finishes — straight hairline, circular hairline, mirror, and honing — are applied to bring out the refined beauty of the metal.
The dial features a three-dimensional geometric texture created using nano-processing technology from Yamagata Casio, the “mother factory” of G-SHOCK. The radial finish creates distinct reflections across the dial surfaces extending outward from the center. As the wrist moves, each surface catches the light differently, creating changing patterns of shading and luster.
The watch also incorporates TOUGH MVT. 2 for precision timekeeping. Building on the capabilities of the original TOUGH MVT.,*1 TOUGH MVT. 2 detects external disturbances such as impacts and magnetic fields and performs self-regulating control by automatically correcting the hand positions to maintain accurate time display.
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*1 A solar-powered analog movement with automatic time correction, engineered for outstanding precision, reliability, and usability. |
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