Financial technology company WOUFX has announced the upcoming launch of its 90-day institutional trading project, scheduled to begin on July 1, 2026. The technical initiative is designed to evaluate the operational throughput, risk management infrastructure, and processing stability of the proprietary WOUFX TRADE system under continuous daily market conditions.

The project will be overseen by Shoxjahon Eshniyozov (Akmal ogli), founder and CEO of WOUFX. Over the course of 90 consecutive trading days, the company plans to generate weekly performance reports tracking core operational parameters, including execution latencies, margin compliance metrics, and statistical drawdown controls across global financial markets.

Technical Infrastructure and Execution Model

The deployment serves as a live-environment validation of the WOUFX™ technology architecture. The company operates utilizing an A-Book ECN/DMA (Electronic Communication Network/Direct Market Access) execution model, which programmatically routes all transactions directly to external market liquidity pools to ensure clear structural alignment and eliminate conflicts of interest.

The primary software engine powering the initiative, WOUFX TRADE, is an enterprise-grade trading platform engineered for multi-asset connectivity, systematic risk assessment, and high-frequency data auditing. The platform is currently available for download via the App Store and Google Play.

Corporate Background and Regulatory Registrations

Eshniyozov founded WOUFX to bridge the gap between Central Asian financial technology and global markets. Born on October 22, 1995, in the Samarkand Region of the Republic of Uzbekistan, he holds over 14 years of operational experience in data-driven financial markets. He is a member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI, United Kingdom), reflecting a formal commitment to international professional standards and compliance frameworks.

To support its cross-border infrastructure, WOUFX maintains a transparent corporate and regulatory footprint across United States, European, and United Kingdom administrative databases. The company’s active corporate registration and compliance coordinates include:

• Registered Legal Entity: WOUFX LLC (State of Delaware, File No. 10372381)
• Corporate Headquarters: 1209 North Orange Street, Suite 100, Wilmington, DE 19801
• Delaware Business License: No. 2025715007
• FinCEN MSB Registration: No. 31000315645596
• SEC/EDGAR Central Index Key (CIK): 0002094541
• Global Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): 984500386C3CN4BF4710
• UK ICO Data Protection Registration: Ref. ZC023067

Operational Transparency and Verification Protocols

A core requirement of the 90-day project is systematic public transparency. WOUFX will compile and publish audited weekly progress logs via its official corporate channels. These data summaries will outline standard mathematical metrics, including the Profit Factor, Sharpe Ratio, Maximum Drawdown, and general capital stabilization statistics.

Following the formal conclusion of the 90-day execution window, the complete unedited transaction ledger, execution logs, and account histories will be submitted to independent, recognized international audit firms in the United States and Europe for thorough verification. The comprehensive, peer-reviewed performance reports will be released to industry analysts and financial media only after the formal audit confirmation process is completed.

About WOUFX

WOUFX is a U.S.-incorporated international financial technology company. The company specializes in the development of next-generation trading software, advanced risk management algorithms, and direct market access execution systems, with a focus on advancing technology-driven financial participation across Central Asia. For more information, visit woufx.com.

Disclaimer

WOUFX explicitly clarifies that this initiative represents an internal technology and infrastructure assessment model only. This announcement does not constitute a public offering, an invitation or solicitation to invest, financial advice, a promise of return, or a guarantee of future performance. Trading in financial markets involves a high degree of structural risk. Past performance, operational benchmarks, or simulated metrics demonstrated during this project are illustrative only and do not guarantee future market results. WOUFX disclaims all liability for actions taken based on this content.

Media Contact

WOUFX Support Team
support@woufx.com

Singapore Treasure Carbon Tech Pte. Ltd. (SGTC), a Singapore-based climate solutions company serving Asia-Pacific and global markets, participated in the Climate Futures APAC Summit 2026 (CFAS) in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 17–18, where the company shared its expertise in carbon asset development, nature-based solutions and international climate cooperation.

The summit, described by organizers as Asia-Pacific's most comprehensive carbon and climate event, brought together representatives from international organizations including Verra and the World Bank, alongside leading project developers, businesses and carbon market participants. Its arrival in Bangkok reflects Thailand's growing role in regional climate cooperation.

Over the past two years, economies across the Asia-Pacific region have continued to strengthen climate policies and carbon market frameworks. Thailand has advanced its net-zero target from 2065 to 2050, while its Draft Climate Change Act, currently under parliamentary review, is expected to support an integrated carbon pricing framework incorporating emissions trading, carbon taxation and carbon credit mechanisms.

Meanwhile, economies including Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia have been actively exploring cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and cross-border carbon market partnerships, creating new opportunities for regional climate collaboration. Against this backdrop, CFAS 2026 provided a platform for stakeholders across the region to discuss the future of carbon markets and climate action.

Climate Challenges and New Opportunities for Cooperation

Under the Paris Agreement, countries around the world are strengthening climate commitments and advancing net-zero strategies. As Article 6 implementation progresses, demand for high-quality climate projects and credible international carbon market partnerships continues to grow.

According to the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), Asia is emerging as one of the world’s most dynamic carbon market regions. At the same time, many developing economies across Asia-Pacific remain highly dependent on natural resources and export-oriented industries. As international green trade measures such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) move closer to implementation, governments and businesses face increasing pressure to accelerate low-carbon transitions, strengthen climate governance and enhance market-based climate mechanisms.

SGTC noted that the development of Asia’s carbon markets will depend not only on continued improvements in policy frameworks, but also on the expansion of project-level practices that deliver environmental, social and long-term sustainability outcomes.

Building a Climate Action Network Across Regions

Headquartered in Singapore and focused on Asia-Pacific, SGTC supports governments, enterprises and communities through services including carbon asset development, net-zero consulting and sustainability solutions tailored to local conditions.

Operating under the principle of “Global Partner, Local Solutions,” the company works to unlock the value of local resources through market-based climate mechanisms, helping convert environmental outcomes and emission reductions into long-term sustainable opportunities.

Today, SGTC has established project partnerships and business collaborations across multiple continents. Its project portfolio covers high-quality carbon asset development projects under internationally recognized standards such as Gold Standard and Verra, as well as green compliance services for export-oriented enterprises and carbon trading advisory services. Its partners and clients include national and local governments, multinational corporations and local communities, reflecting extensive implementation experience across Asia-Pacific and global markets.

In Mongolia, SGTC has been supporting climate project development since 2022 under the country’s “One Billion Trees” initiative. Following the signing of a carbon asset development cooperation agreement with relevant Mongolian authorities in 2023, the project aims to establish approximately 360,000 hectares of forest by 2030. Using native species such as Siberian larch, the initiative seeks to restore degraded land, strengthen ecosystem resilience and address desertification while generating long-term carbon sequestration benefits.

In Nepal, SGTC launched a clean cookstove programme in Lumbini Province in 2025. The project plans to distribute energy-efficient cookstoves to approximately 80,000 households, benefiting around 400,000 residents and reducing an estimated 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions annually. Beyond emissions reductions, the initiative helps reduce fuelwood consumption, improve indoor air quality and lower health risks for women and children. Through international carbon market mechanisms, the project also creates pathways for generating high-quality carbon credits aligned with evolving Article 6 cooperation frameworks.

Since 2023, SGTC has been implementing a forest conservation project across multiple provinces in the Solomon Islands, covering more than 60,000 hectares of tropical rainforest. The project reduces emissions from deforestation and forest degradation by restricting commercial logging, road construction and related activities, while enhancing long-term carbon sequestration capacity.The Solomon Islands, a member of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), actively advocates the global 1.5°C temperature target under the Paris Agreement, while maintaining a strong focus on climate finance, loss and damage, and ecosystem protection. Supporting climate action in Pacific island nations provides practical experience for other developing economies in Asia-Pacific that similarly depend on forest and marine resources, and helps strengthen their capacity to access international climate cooperation and sustainable development resources within the evolving climate economy.

Beyond Asia-Pacific, SGTC co-developed solar lighting projects in Ethiopia and Somalia, providing clean energy alternatives to households with limited access to reliable electricity. Equipped with high-efficiency solar panels, durable batteries and LED lighting systems, the projects are expected to reduce more than 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions over their seven-year crediting period. The initiatives provide a replicable reference for low-carbon development cooperation among Global South countries.

Looking Ahead

As climate policy frameworks continue to evolve across Asia-Pacific, opportunities for cooperation in carbon markets, climate finance and sustainable development are expected to expand. Thailand’s growing role in regional climate governance is attracting increasing attention from project developers, investors and climate solution providers across the region.

Through its participation in Climate Futures APAC Summit 2026, SGTC strengthened engagement with regional stakeholders and exchanged views on emerging developments in carbon markets and climate cooperation. Looking ahead, the company will continue leveraging Singapore as its regional platform to support the development of high-quality climate projects that contribute to environmental protection, community development and sustainable economic growth across Asia-Pacific and other emerging markets.

About Singapore Treasure Carbon (SGTC)

Singapore Treasure Carbon Pte. Ltd. is a carbon management and climate solutions company providing greenhouse gas accounting, carbon asset development, net-zero consulting, carbon market advisory and green finance services for governments, corporations and organizations across the Asia-Pacific region and selected international markets. The company supports climate action through services related to both compliance and voluntary carbon markets.

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Singapore, the company is a subsidiary of Shanghai Treasure Carbon New Energy Environmental Protection Technology Ltd., a China-based climate solutions provider established in 2010. Through its parent company’s network of more than 20 offices, subsidiaries and branches across Mainland China and overseas markets including Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Nepal, Mongolia, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste, the company supports carbon market and sustainable development initiatives in multiple regions.

For more information, visit www.treasurecarbongroup.com.

Media Contact

Jiaxin Cao
caojiaxin@treasurecarbon.com

As more intended parents turn to surrogacy, egg donation, IVF, and adoption to build their families, California continues to set the standard for ethical, inclusive family building.

Ahead of Father’s Day, Hatch Fertility is highlighting California’s role as a national leader in modern family creation through surrogacy, egg donation, IVF support, and adoption. Not everyone’s journey to parenthood looks the same. As of 2023, California’s birth rate has reached near-record lows — its lowest level in more than 100 years, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The number of births has fallen from a peak in 1992 of 613,000 to 420,000 in 2021. As infertility rates rise — with the World Health Organization reporting 1 in 6 people globally experiencing infertility — and more LGBTQ+ couples, single parents, and intended parents explore alternative paths to parenthood, California has emerged as one of the most supportive and legally established states for assisted reproduction and surrogacy. 

“The path to parenthood looks different for many families today,” said Kristie Dolan, CEO of Hatch Fertility and Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles. “As many fathers celebrate their special day in June, there are countless fathers, mothers and parents whose journey to parenthood involved years of IVF, fertility challenges, surrogacy, egg donation, or adoption. California has helped lead the way in creating ethical, supportive pathways for those families to grow.”

While IVF remains a critical option for many families, experts note that intended parents often begin exploring surrogacy and egg donation after multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles. Increasingly, intended parents are seeking support from agencies that prioritize ethical decision-making, transparency, strong surrogate support, and long-term, trust-based relationships.

Hatch, one of the nation’s longest-standing family-building agencies, works with intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates throughout California and nationwide. The agency, which is headquartered in Los Angeles, leads their agency with care and integrity by protecting surrogates and intended parents emotionally, medically, financially and legally through trust, transparency and consent.

Learn more about Hatch’s approach to ethical surrogacy here: Ethical Surrogacy at Hatch. The growing national conversation around family building has also led many prospective surrogates to research which agencies provide the strongest support systems, compensation transparency, and medical advocacy. Access additional resources for prospective surrogates.

Family-building experts say Father’s Day presents an opportunity to recognize the evolving definition of parenthood and the many paths families now take to welcome children into their lives.

“Modern families are built in many different ways,” added Greg Wiles, President of Hatch Egg Donation and Surrogacy and father of two children through surrogacy with his husband. “California continues to show what compassionate, ethical, and inclusive family building can look like and we’re even seeing more inclusion in benefits packages for employees of large employers that cover elements of the surrogacy journey.” 

Many large employers are beginning to incorporate surrogacy and fertility-related benefits into their employee healthcare and family support packages, reflecting a growing recognition that the path to parenthood looks different for every family. While many traditional health plans offer limited IVF coverage, an increasing number of companies are expanding benefits to include surrogacy-related support, egg donation assistance, fertility preservation, and family-building resources for LGBTQ+ employees and individuals facing infertility challenges. Advocates say these evolving workplace benefits not only help reduce the significant financial barriers associated with surrogacy, but also signal a broader cultural shift toward inclusive, modern family-building policies that support employees both personally and professionally.

About Hatch Fertility

Hatch is a full-service surrogacy and egg donation agency dedicated to making parenthood accessible, ethical, and inclusive for all families. For more than 35 years, Hatch has guided intended parents and surrogates through every step of the family-building journey with expert care, personalized support, and a commitment to transparency, integrity, and informed choice. Grounded in thoughtful matching, mutual consent, trusted medical oversight, and clear, accountable processes, Hatch prioritizes the safety, dignity, and well-being of everyone involved while providing fair, ethical support throughout the journey. Through education, advocacy, and responsible industry stewardship, Hatch works to strengthen surrogacy practices and help turn the dream of parenthood into reality. For more information, visit www.hatch.us.

Media Contact

Meagan Luevano
mluevano@ka-pow.com

Patsnap, a leading global innovation intelligence company, today announced a significant expansion of Hiro for Analytics, adding conversational AI to its patent intelligence platform. The capability allows IP and R&D teams to ask questions in natural language and receive structured competitive insights, removing a longstanding technical barrier in patent research workflows.

Hiro, Patsnap’s proprietary AI layer for IP and R&D, is built on a proprietary innovation dataset of more than 208 million patents, 215 million non-patent literature records, and 1.6 billion legal data points across 174 jurisdictions. The capability draws on a purpose-built skills library trained on IP and R&D workflows and on Patsnap’s tools to interpret user intent and automatically executes the right analysis.

Traditional patent analysis workflows require users to learn complex platforms, Boolean search strings, classification schemas, and to spend hours filtering, analyzing, and synthesizing results. Hiro eliminates these steps. Users simply ask a question in plain language such as “How does our portfolio compare to Company X?” or “Who are our emerging competitors?” and receive structured, actionable answers.

Behind the interface, Hiro orchestrates three core capabilities: purpose-built skills trained on IP and R&D task execution; advanced AI reasoning augmented by Patsnap’s own domain-tuned models, to understand intent and sequence the right workflow; and Patsnap’s proprietary data, which has been systematically cleaned, normalized, and structured for more than a decade, to ensure accuracy and completeness. The result is analysis grounded in a unified view of the innovation landscape including standardized assignee data, corporate family trees, and reliable connected legal event records that reduce the risk of fragmented or incomplete findings.

“Generic AI gives you generic, incomplete answers. Hiro is different because the foundation is different. Patsnap has spent years building a proprietary innovation dataset that general-purpose models simply don’t have access to, systematically cleaned, normalized, and structured for the precision IP and R&D professionals require. When teams ask a question, the answer is grounded in data they can trust and act on,” said Haydn Evans, SVP of Strategy, Patsnap.

Hiro is designed to produce outputs that teams can act on immediately. Rather than raw search results, users receive structured answers, clear recommendations, and tailored analysis including white space discovery, portfolio comparisons, and strategic assessments.

Early results from a user hackathon, in which teams across IP, life sciences, and R&D functions stress-tested the capability with real-world use cases, validated the performance gains:

• 12-stage patent intelligence workflows covering FTO risk, invalidity strategy, multi-jurisdiction expiry analysis, and portfolio valuation were completed in a single session, compressing work that would traditionally take a team of analysts days or weeks.
• IP commercialization strategies, competitive landscape analyses, and FTO assessments were generated in minutes delivering outputs that would cost tens of thousands in outside counsel or consulting fees.
• Surface uncontested patent cliff opportunities by cross-referencing expiry timelines, competitor continuation activity, and generics pipeline white space, producing a prioritized shortlist of actionable targets, not a raw expiry calendar.

Unlike rigid, predefined analysis workflows, Hiro adapts in real time. Users can ask follow-up questions, redirect analysis mid-conversation, and request bespoke outputs from competitive deep dive assessments without leaving the interface or switching tools.

To watch a demo of Hiro in Analytics, click here or visit patsnap.com to learn more.

About Patsnap

Founded in Singapore in 2007, Patsnap is a leading global innovation intelligence company. Leveraging domain-specific AI agents and robust analytics tools, Patsnap empowers IP and R&D teams to unlock insights, accelerate discoveries and protect breakthroughs. Trusted by nearly 20,000 enterprises, law firms and research institutions in over 50 countries including one-third of the world’s largest R&D spenders, Patsnap transforms how organizations innovate and make critical decisions. Learn more at www.patsnap.com.

Media Contact

Kate White
media@patsnap.com

Lucra, the leading social competition platform, today announced a partnership with Block Golf, the autonomous indoor golf concept from the team behind PingPod and PodPlay, to embed Lucra's competition infrastructure natively across Block Golf's Trackman-powered simulator bays. Launching alongside Block Golf's first location in Williamsburg later this summer, the integration brings a full competition and loyalty layer to autonomous golf simulation from day one.

Block Golf was built around the autonomous model pioneered by PingPod: no staff required, no food-and-beverage overhead, just high-quality technology and a frictionless experience that keeps players coming back. Where the traditional golf simulator venue leans on hospitality to drive repeat visits, Block Golf leans on the game itself. With Lucra embedded at launch, competitive gameplay becomes the engine that turns individual sessions into an ongoing social experience. Every bay is connected, every round can carry stakes, and every player has a reason to return.

The Lucra integration enables guests to enter real-money matchups and free-to-play tournaments directly from their phones, challenge other players across bays or locations, and track standings on live leaderboards throughout their session. A centralized gaming wallet lets winners roll earnings into future play, keeping the competitive loop closed and players inside the platform. Lucra handles all payments, compliance, fraud prevention, and settlement automatically, allowing Block Golf to focus entirely on experience and expansion.

"Simulator golf has always had the bones of a great competitive experience — precision data, consistent conditions, and players who genuinely want to improve and have fun," said Dylan Robbins, founder and CEO of Lucra. "What's been missing is the layer that makes every session matter beyond the round itself. Block Golf is building the right model for where this category is going, and by embedding Lucra from the start, they're ensuring that competition and community are core to the experience."

Block Golf's first location in Williamsburg is set to open in late summer 2026, with additional locations to follow as the company scales its autonomous sports portfolio.

"We built PingPod around the idea that sports should be accessible, autonomous, and social. Block Golf carries that same DNA into golf," said David Silberman, Co-CEO of Block Golf. "Lucra gives us the competitive infrastructure to back it up. When every bay can host a real tournament, when players can challenge each other and win something, you've changed what it means to go hit balls. Lucra makes this experience possible from day one."

For Lucra, the partnership represents continued expansion across the indoor golf simulation category, demonstrating how its competition infrastructure can power engaging, community-driven experiences even within a fully autonomous operating model.

About Lucra

Lucra is a plug-and-play SDK that integrates into apps or websites, enabling peer-to-peer competitions with real-money or rewards. It handles compliance, payments, fraud prevention, and settlement out of the box, so partners can instantly offer gamified experiences without building or managing complex infrastructure themselves. Top entertainment, hospitality, and consumer brands, including Five Iron Golf, Puttshack, Backyard Sports, ChessKings, TouchTunes, and more, use Lucra's white-label technology to power tournaments and challenges, build loyalty, and drive new revenue. Learn more at playlucra.com. 

About Block Golf

Block Golf is an autonomous indoor golf concept from the team behind PingPod and PodPlay, combining Trackman simulator technology with a streamlined, staff-free operating model designed for accessibility, flexibility, and repeat engagement. Built around play, practice, competition, and community, Block Golf is part of a broader portfolio of tech-enabled sports and recreation brands expanding across New York and beyond. Contact Co-CEO David Silberman at david@pingpod.com to learn more.

Media Contact

Lindsay Linhart
Brand Strategist, Lucra
lindsay@playlucra.com

On April 18, 2026, a presentation of the book, "The Georgian Wolves: The History of the Petrovskyi Family" by Ukrainian historian Oleksandr Muzychko took place at the conference hall of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London. The work highlights little-known connections between the Georgian and Ukrainian national aristocracies. Participants of the presentation also announced the establishment of the Ukrainian-British Academic Platform for Caucasus Studies.

Complete details on the speakers, historical findings, and photographs are available on the official International Charitable Foundation of O. Petrovskyi “Solidarity” Event Archive.

The event featured the author, Dr. Oleksandr Muzychko, Professor at Odesa I. I. Mechnykov National University (Ukraine) as well as representatives of the Petrovskyi family, Alina Vovk and Anzhelika Petrovska. Other attendees included journalists, scholars, clergy, and cultural figures from Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

As Oleksandr Muzychko explained, "The Georgian Wolves" is based on a genealogical study of the Georgian aristocratic Tsitsishvili–Nareklishvili family, whose members served at the courts of the kings of Kartli and Kakheti. According to the author's research, the book examines historical family connections that include the ancestry of Ukrainian public figure Oleksandr Petrovskyi's family. The study states that a branch of the Tsitsishvili family later adopted the surname Nareklishvili following events in the mid-19th century and traces the lineage of Tamaz Nareklishvili, father of Oleksandr Petrovskyi, to this family branch.

Based on archival sources, the research examines the history of the Nareklishvili family in Zemo Kandaura and describes the participation of family members in historical events in Georgia, including the Kakhetian Uprising and the War of Independence of Georgia in 1812–1813. The study identifies twelve generations of the family by name.

The book presents a historical perspective on Georgia through the story of one family and its documented lineage. Dr. Muzychko also notes that in the 20th century the Nareklishvili family became connected with the Ukrainian Vovk family, which originated from Cossack nobility.

Petrovska noted that she is proud of her family history, in which Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian, and Jewish roots are intertwined. She said that this multicultural heritage encourages a broader view of international cooperation and cultural dialogue. Petrovska also said that this multinational background allows the Petrovskyi Family to take a broader view of Ukraine’s external strategy, stating in her speech at the event, “We should go beyond our borders and offer our allies new strategies in a rapidly changing world."

About International Charitable Foundation of O. Petrovskyi “Solidarity”

The International Charitable Foundation of O. Petrovskyi “Solidarity” is a Ukrainian charitable foundation founded in October 2003. The foundation carries out volunteer, philanthropic, and charitable initiatives, with a focus on social support for people in difficult life circumstances, including low-income families, elderly people, children with disabilities, orphans, and children from boarding schools and orphanages. For more information, visit mbfs.com.ua.

Media Contact

Yana Ivanilova
Vice President, International Charitable Foundation of O. Petrovskyi “Solidarity”
charitymbf@gmail.com
+1 067 106 7734

Today, CHEQ, the leading identity, security, and intelligence platform for the open web, trusted by more than 15,000 companies, unveiled CHEQ Agent Intent, the industry's most comprehensive solution for managing the open agentic web. The new solution uncovers every website and app visitor’s entity type and provenance, affirms the identity of the human behind it, assesses its intent, and gives customers real-time control over what happens next.

The product delivers a single verdict on every entity that touches a company’s digital asset and gives security, identity, fraud prevention, growth, and marketing teams the ability to act on that verdict instantly. Agent Intent is powered by the CHEQ platform, which combines the world's largest independent identity graph for fraud and trust with non-human detection across the entire customer journey.

The launch arrives at a turning point for the open web. The shift is visible in CHEQ's own data. Across an identity intelligence network that observes more than 6 billion signals a day on 3 million websites and apps, human traffic has stayed essentially flat year over year. Automated and invalid traffic is up nearly 70%. AI agents now research products, open accounts, and complete purchases on behalf of real people, at a scale no one planned for, and in equal measure they are scraping data, draining marketing budgets, and creating new categories of fraud. Most companies have no way to tell the difference, and the gap between what their data says and what is actually happening on their sites widens by the day. The industry has begun rallying around Agent Trust as the answer. CHEQ Agent Intent goes even further. It is the only solution to marry an identity graph with intent models and entity intelligence, delivering the full picture: trust, identity, intent, and control.

"Knowing whether an agent is legitimate isn't the same as knowing what it came to do, and who the person behind it is," said Guy Tytunovich, founder and CEO of CHEQ. "Trust is essential, but it's the starting point and it’s basic. It is not the destination. CHEQ Agent Intent gives brands the entity, the identity, the intent, and the control to decide what happens next, across every visitor on their site."

CHEQ Agent Intent is available now to enterprise customers worldwide. CHEQ executives, including CEO Guy Tytunovich, will be on the ground at Cannes Lions the week of June 22 to discuss the launch.

About CHEQ

CHEQ is the leading identity, security, and intelligence platform for the open web, trusted by the world's leading brands across industries including cybersecurity, financial services, retail and ecommerce, and technology. More than 15,000 companies, from the Fortune 50 to industry innovators, rely on CHEQ to secure their websites, protect their marketing investments, and govern who interacts with their digital experiences. CHEQ's platform combines the industry's only triple-layer traffic, trust, and identity intelligence engine with the world's largest independent identity graph for fraud and trust. Founded in 2016, CHEQ is a global organization with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, and Tel Aviv. For more information, visit cheq.ai.

Media Contact

Lorie Acio
lorie@aciostrategies.com

On June 12, 2026, Rwanda's Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, told the United Nations Security Council that Rwanda is ready to receive the ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) judicial archives and take custody of all persons convicted, acquitted, or released by the tribunal — including those who have been cleared of all charges.

Minister Ugirashebuja's statement is recorded in the UN's official meeting coverage (SC/16384, June, 12, 2026) and in the webcast of the 10170th meeting.

Apart from the representative of the United States, no other Security Council member commented on Rwanda’s application. The Council's resolution is expected to be adopted next week, on June 25.

Stand For Our Parents (SFOP) — the association representing the families of persons acquitted, released, or detained by the ICTR/IRMCT (International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals) — urges every Security Council member to reject Rwanda’s application in its entirety.

Acquitted by the UN's Own Court — Yet Claimed by a Party to the Conflict

Rwanda’s application concerns acquitted persons who were found not guilty by the UN ad hoc tribunal, as well as released persons currently housed in a UN safe house in Niger without legal status since December 2021. Three of them have died while waiting for a durable solution. Rwanda also requests the transfer of UN detainees serving their sentences in Senegal and Benin. In addition, the UN has informed those residing in the safe house in Niger that financial support will end on December 31, 2026.

Rwanda’s request appears to seek a de facto extension of judicial control over acquitted and released persons. SFOP rejects this unlawful claim. These individuals owe no further obligation to any court, and transferring them to the very state that prosecuted them would violate the principle of ne bis in idem (double jeopardy) — a principle that several Security Council members reaffirmed during the June 12 debate.

It is well known that Rwanda applies the "genocide ideology" law, which was not part of the ICTR Statute. SFOP fears that Rwanda’s strategy is to prosecute these individuals under new charges related to it once they are transferred to Rwanda.

These concerns are not theoretical. In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court found that Rwanda was not a safe country for the transfer of asylum seekers, citing a real risk of refoulement. The removal scheme was subsequently abandoned. A legal memorandum prepared by the families, an open letter signed by international defense lawyers, and reports from several human rights organizations are on record with the UN Secretary-General and explain why diplomatic assurances do not eliminate that risk.

"We are not asking the Council to revisit any verdict," said Jean De Dieu Nsanzabandi, spokesperson for SFOP. "We are asking one question: will our parents be safe in Rwanda? Rwanda’s own request — to take custody of people it accused and who were subsequently acquitted — answers that question."

Archives That Could Endanger the Witnesses Who Helped Build Them

Regarding the ICTR archives, SFOP strongly rejects Minister Ugirashebuja’s request to transfer them to Rwanda. SFOP fully supports Tanzania’s position, which offers a cost-free solution since the necessary infrastructure already exists in Arusha, where the ICTR was established.

Records of international justice should not be placed in the custody of a party to the conflict, in order to preserve the independence and impartiality of the institution. Furthermore, these archives contain records relating to thousands of defense witnesses who continue to reside in Rwanda. Transferring such records to Rwanda would undermine the protective measures ordered by the Tribunal and could place those witnesses at risk.

SFOP Calls on the Security Council to:

• Refuse the transfer of the ICTR archives to Rwanda and preserve them in neutral custody
• Refuse the transfer of any acquitted, released, or detained person to Rwanda
• Resolve without delay the situation of those stranded in Niger by securing a durable solution
• Ensure a durable solution consistent with international law and hear the concerns of the families

Spokespersons and family members are available for interviews. The press release, legal memorandum, and supporting documents, including the thirteen Defence Counsel of Record's open letter (May 26, 2026) and the families' 35-page legal memorandum (May 27, 2026), are available at are available at standforourparents.org/press.

About Stand For Our Parents

Stand For Our Parents (SFOP) is an association in formation under Belgian law which gather families, relatives and friends of ICTR / IRMCT acquitted, released and detainees persons. SFOP urges people, organisations, countries, and every Security Council member to oppose Rwanda’s application in its entirety. For more information, visit www.standforourparents.org.

Media Contact

Jean De Dieu Nsanzabandi
Spokesperson, Stand For Our Parents (SFOP)
jean.nsanzabandi@standforourparents.org
+32 471 90 44 88

Asking a fútbol-loving CMO to sit through another meeting during the World Cup is a little like asking them to go to the dentist during a penalty shootout. Technically possible. Deeply unreasonable.

Today, independent creative agency LERMA/ announces the launch of Invite LERMA/, an AI-powered experience that turns a traditional 90-minute agency credentials meeting into something marketers may actually want on their calendar during the World Cup: live match commentary.

Here’s how it works: marketers book a 90-minute Invite LERMA/ meeting during a World Cup match. When the call begins, Taylor AI joins — not to pitch the agency, but to narrate the game live in English or Spanish.

Your calendar gets a meeting.

You get the match.

That’s what LERMA/ calls a win-win. Unless it’s a draw. But you get the point.

Taylor AI is an AI version of Taylor Smiley, LERMA/’s Chief Growth Officer, built to call the match, react to key moments, share stats, and keep fans plugged into the action in real time.

Guests can follow the game, react to big moments, and invite fellow soccer fans to join the call — all inside what looks like a perfectly ordinary business meeting.

“Our creative teams had a brilliant realization,” said Taylor Smiley, Chief Growth Officer at LERMA/. “Nobody wants another meeting during the World Cup. So instead of asking people to ignore the match, we created a meeting that helps them enjoy it.”

The idea was inspired by a simple truth: meetings happen every day. The World Cup only happens every four years.

And if participants do want to talk business, they can privately message Taylor AI to schedule an actual credentials meeting once the tournament concludes.

The initiative reflects LERMA/'s broader belief that attention is earned by understanding culture, not interrupting it.

“The idea started with a simple question: what if a business meeting gave people something they actually wanted during the World Cup?” said Paco Conde, Chief Creative Officer at LERMA/. “We took one of the most familiar agency rituals and reimagined it as an experience built around a cultural moment millions of people are already invested in. That's the kind of ambition that drives us — not just finding new ways to tell our story, but creating ideas that connect with people in more meaningful and relevant ways.”

Invite LERMA/ launched on June 17 and will be available throughout the 2026 World Cup, and it’s designed specifically for senior marketing leaders, brand decision-makers, and anyone who would rather watch soccer than sit through another agency deck.

About LERMA/

LERMA/ is a fearlessly independent, full-service creative agency based in Dallas. We believe extraordinary things start with extraordinary ambition, helping brands break through indifference by asking one simple question: “Why will people care?” Through strategy, creativity, media, production, analytics, and cultural insight, LERMA/ creates ideas that connect with people, drive growth, and deliver meaningful business impact. For more information, visit lermaagency.com.

Media Contact

Emma Swanson
Toni Lee Communications
emma@tonileepr.com
+1 716-225-1186

Geely Auto Group continued its momentum in international touring car racing as the Geely Cyan Racing delivered a commanding weekend at the Valencia round of the 2026 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour. Following its breakthrough victory at Misano, Geely Preface TCR extended its winning streak to four races with Santiago Urrutia sweeping all three races at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Geely Cyan Racing established its strong pace from qualifying and locked out the top three for opening race. Urrutia converted that pace into a clean sweep across the weekend, beginning by turning the team’s starting advantage into a victory in Race 1. In Race 2, he charged from eighth on the reverse grid to secure his second win, his teammates Ma Qinghua and Thed Björk added points for the team, finishing fourth and sixth respectively.

In Race 3, Urrutia sealed a clean sweep by setting the fastest lap and leading every lap to achieve the Grand Slam, which made him the first driver to accomplish the "Perfect Weekend." Björk added two podium finishes and helped Geely Cyan Racing secure back-to-back 1-2 finishes, further demonstrating the team’s race execution and the car’s consistency under demanding conditions of tight circuit with high track temperatures.

Following this conquering showcase, Geely Cyan Racing leads the team standings with 277 points, 54 points ahead of its nearest competitor. Urrutia leads the drivers’ standings with 140 points, while Björk follows in second with 120 points.

Four victories from the first five races underline the pace, reliability and development potential of the Geely Preface TCR. As the campaign continues, Geely Auto Group will keep utilizing international motorsport as a platform to advance technical upgrade, strengthen global collaboration across its racing programme, and demonstrate the competitiveness of the brand in international touring car racing.

About Geely Auto Group

Geely Auto Group is a leading global automotive company headquartered in Hangzhou, China. Part of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Geely Auto Group develops and manufactures passenger vehicles under the Geely, Lynk & Co, and Zeekr brands. Geely Auto achieved cumulative sales of 3,024,567 units in 2025, exceeding the full-year sales target with a year-on-year growth of 39%. New energy vehicle (NEV) sales reached 1,687,767 units, a year-on-year increase of 90%. With a strong focus on technology innovation, electrification, and sustainable mobility, Geely Auto Group operates world-class R&D centers and manufacturing facilities across China, Europe, and key international markets. The Group is committed to delivering safe, high-quality, and intelligent vehicles enabled by advanced technologies such as hybrid powertrains, full-electric architectures, smart connectivity, and autonomous driving systems. As a global company, Geely Auto Group continues to expand its international presence through strategic partnerships, localized operations, and industry-leading platforms. Geely strives to create mobility solutions that are greener, smarter, and more accessible, driving forward the future of sustainable transportation. For more information, visit global.geely.com.

Media Contact

Cathy Peng
media@geely.com

Andreozzi + Foote has filed a civil lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County (Case No. C-03-CV-26-002798) on behalf of an individual against Central Christian Assembly, Inc. and former youth pastor Thomas G. Pinkerton Jr. in connection with alleged conduct that occurred between 2006 and 2010.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff was a minor and a participant in the church's youth program during the period at issue.

The filing follows related criminal proceedings involving Pinkerton. Court records show that on June 8, 2026, Pinkerton pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor (Case No. C-03-CR-25-003405). Sentencing is currently scheduled for Dec. 14, 2026.

The civil lawsuit asserts claims against Central Christian Assembly, including negligent hiring, retention, and supervision, as well as negligence-related claims. The complaint also asserts claims against Pinkerton for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit was filed pursuant to Maryland's Child Victims Act, which permits individuals alleging childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil claims regardless of when the alleged conduct occurred.

The case is pending. The allegations contained in the complaint have not been adjudicated in the civil proceeding.

Public Records and Case Access

Public dockets, upcoming hearings, and verified criminal court records related to the defendant can be tracked directly through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Portal for Case No. C-03-CR-25-003405. Copies of the newly filed civil complaint (Case No. C-03-CV-26-002798) are available upon request through the media contact listed below.

About Andreozzi + Foote

Andreozzi + Foote is one of the nation’s leading sexual abuse law firms with a history of representing survivors in cases against large and powerful organizations, including Penn State University, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Catholic Church. The trauma-informed Pennsylvania-based sexual abuse lawyers at Andreozzi + Foote are committed to obtaining life-changing results for victims and their families. For more information, visit www.victimscivilattorneys.com.

Media Contact

Maria Smith
Andreozzi + Foote
marias@vca.law
+1 717-807-5808

Today, Barometer, the AI-powered brand suitability and contextual targeting engine, announced a partnership with Spotify to bring episode-level brand suitability analysis and contextual targeting to programmatic podcast ads at a global scale. These capabilities are available for advertisers buying through the Spotify Ad Exchange on The Trade Desk.

By unlocking Spotify's podcast inventory within The Trade Desk, this partnership gives advertisers unprecedented access to safely scale their campaigns. This expansion of available inventory means buyers can now target and monitor their programmatic audio investments with the confidence of Barometer’s independent third-party verification across Spotify's high-quality podcast content.

Through this new integration, Barometer’s AI engine analyzes every podcast episode on Spotify Ad Exchange before it is released. This pre-release analysis generates rich, episode-level data that advertisers can use for highly precise pre-bid targeting. 

This solution effectively eliminates the guesswork from podcast advertising. By combining Barometer's buy-side, self-service controls with Spotify's high-quality podcast inventory, and The Trade Desk's demand-side platform, advertisers can better mitigate brand safety concerns and scale their podcast investments with the same precision they expect from mature digital video and display channels.

"This new partnership between Barometer, Spotify, and The Trade Desk marks a true paradigm shift for the audio industry,” said Dr. Tamara Zubatiy Nelson, CEO at Barometer. "We are moving the industry past the era of broad genre targeting and post-campaign guesswork. By analyzing Spotify’s podcast inventory prior to release, we are empowering advertisers to proactively target and tailor ad campaigns with true episode-level precision. We're thrilled to collaborate with Spotify and The Trade Desk to deliver this unprecedented level of transparency and control."

The solution is officially live and available for programmatic activation today. Advertisers looking to elevate their audio strategies and activate episode-level targeting with the Spotify Ad Exchange via The Trade Desk can learn more by visiting app.thebarometer.co/spotify.

About Barometer

Barometer is the premier, third-party, AI-powered contextual engine with best-in-class brand suitability and contextual targeting solutions for premium and emerging media channels. They help the largest brands in the world responsibly activate at scale in impactful channels like podcasts, creator-led video, and generative AI. For more information, visit app.thebarometer.co.

Media Contact

Ella Reznick
Barometer
ella@thebarometer.co

CHEQ, the leading identity, security, and intelligence platform for the open web, today announced it has been named a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Bot And Agent Trust Management Software, Q2 2026. CHEQ was the only vendor among the eight evaluated to receive the highest possible score in the Marketing and e-commerce integrations criterion, and one of only two vendors to receive the top score in the Roadmap criterion.

Since 2019, CHEQ has helped the world's largest companies solve a problem most security solutions weren't built for: protecting the full customer journey, end to end, across the e-commerce and marketing tools brands depend on. CHEQ believes the Bot & Agent Trust Management Wave validates this approach. 

Forrester frames the buying decision around the full customer journey, noting that bot and agent traffic "affects a range of security and business stakeholders" and that prospective buyers must "consider how bots, agents, and human customers engage throughout the customer journey and seek use-case-specific features and rich integrations with relevant identity, e-commerce, and marketing tools." 

Forrester named CHEQ "a strong choice for organizations that value high-touch customer support and need a solution for both security- and business-focused stakeholders," adding that CHEQ "stands out with a broad roadmap around detection, trust, and a range of features to enhance customer experience." Forrester also named CHEQ's Gold-level partnership with Adobe as a highlight of its partnership program.

The report's customer feedback states that customers "praise CHEQ's value, noting that the product pays for itself…”

The recognition marks CHEQ's first appearance in a Forrester Wave™, in a decades-old category Forrester has recently redefined to reflect what brands now need: not just defense against bots, but trust and control across every entity. As AI agents increasingly act on behalf of real people (shopping, signing up, and transacting), the old question of "good bot or bad bot" no longer fits. The new category centers on a different question: how much can a brand trust the human, bot, or AI agent in front of it, and what should happen next.

Inclusion in the evaluation is itself selective. Per the report's published criteria, Forrester evaluated only vendors with broad, enterprise-level support, substantial revenue in the bot and agent trust management market, and mindshare among Forrester's enterprise clients.

"The Bot and Agent Trust Management Wave is a milestone for the entire market. Forrester has formalized a category the industry has been moving toward for years," said Guy Tytunovich, Founder and CEO of CHEQ. "Every brand is about to meet a flood of traffic that is neither human nor simple automation. We believe the companies that win the agentic web will be the ones that can deliver trust, intent, and control across every entity: human, bot, or AI agent. CHEQ has been building for this moment since before it had a name, and we are focused on where the category goes from here."

CHEQ believes its recognition reflects an approach built for this shift. The CHEQ platform combines the world's largest independent identity graph for fraud and trust, observing 6 billion authenticated user activities daily across 3 million websites and apps, with non-human detection across the entire customer journey. That foundation lets brands evaluate every visitor in real time and decide, in milliseconds, whether to allow, monitor, challenge, or block.

"For the marketers, e-commerce teams, and growth leaders who own the customer journey, we believe the report tells a simple story," Tytunovich added. "CHEQ received a 5/5 in Marketing analytics assurance, a 5/5 in Marketing and e-commerce integrations, and a 5/5 in Roadmap. Those are the criteria that matter when your job is protecting revenue, analytics, and the customer experience from rogue AI agents. That's exactly what CHEQ was built for."

Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. This report is part of a broader collection of Forrester resources, including interactive models, frameworks, tools, data, and access to analyst guidance. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here.

About CHEQ

CHEQ is the leading identity, security, and intelligence platform for the open web, trusted by the world's leading brands across industries including cybersecurity, financial services, retail and ecommerce, and technology. More than 15,000 companies, from the Fortune 50 to industry innovators, rely on CHEQ to secure their websites, protect their marketing investments, and govern who interacts with their digital experiences. CHEQ's platform combines the industry's only triple-layer traffic, trust, and identity intelligence engine with the world's largest independent identity graph for fraud and trust. Founded in 2016, CHEQ is a global organization with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, and Tel Aviv. For more information, visit cheq.ai.

Media Contact

Lorie Acio
lorie@aciostrategies.com

Regulated broker AvaTrade has received 19 global and regional industry awards for 2025, recognizing the company’s multi-asset trading technology, mobile platform experience, educational programming for traders, customer service, and risk management tools. The awards illustrate AvaTrade’s continued investment in developing a regulated trading infrastructure and represent an important milestone in the company’s efforts. Today, AvaTrade is regulated across 10 jurisdictions, with a global corporate presence.

Global Awards and Recognitions

Selecting a broker to handle your stocks, crypto trades, commodities, or foreign exchange is a non-trivial decision for any trader. It requires knowing more than just what platform the broker offers. It requires trust that your funds will be protected, your trades will be carried out with speed and reliability, and that you will have the customer support you need.

That’s why AvaTrade’s 2025 awards speak to the way this broker has been able to position itself within a crowded industry and deliver a high standard of service to its clients. AvaTrade was recognized as Most Trusted Broker by International Investors Magazine, as Best Regulated Trading App by FX Empire, and for Best Customer Service Global by World Business Achievers, all speaking to the broker’s reliability, credibility, and alacrity in serving its traders. Its ability to support multi-asset trading seamlessly was acknowledged by the World Business Outlook Awards with Best Multi-Asset Trading Platform Global 2025. World Business Stars Magazine presented AvaTrade with Best Futures Trading Broker, honoring AvaTrade for providing the dependable execution and stable infrastructure needed in the high-risk futures market.

Other global awards included:

• Outstanding Affiliate Program (International Investors Magazine)
• Best Affiliate Program (Global Business and Finance Magazine)
• Number 1 Risk Management Tool (ForexBrokers.com)
• Number 1 Interactive Educational Experience (ForexBrokers.com)
• Most Innovative Global Trading Platform 2025 (Wealth and Finance International Investment)
• Best iOS Trading App (FX Empire)
• Best Software for Day Trading (FX Empire)

Besides reliable software and high-standard customer service, AvaTrade has been able to provide its traders with a regulated mobile trading app, risk management tools, and educational resources with interactive learning so that traders can understand and manage their risk and trade more effectively.

Recognition Across Multiple Markets

AvaTrade also received regional awards in many major markets, showing how the broker has been able to provide local customer service, trader education, and software in many regions:

• Best Customer Service in Europe (World Economic Magazine)
• Best Stock CFD Broker in Europe (FX Empire)
• Best Affiliate Program (Forex Expo Dubai)
• Most Trusted Trading Platform Latam 2025 (Finance Derivative Magazine)
• Best Online Trading Platform Latam (Global Business Review Magazine)
• Best Online Trading Platform South Africa (Global Business Magazine)
• Best Mobile Trading Experience UAE (International Business Magazine)

In fast and complex markets where conditions can change swiftly, stability matters. So does trader education and customer service. AvaTrade has been recognized on all of these fronts, building a reputation for helping traders access a multi-asset trading platform and app designed for reliability, get support quickly when they need it, and access interactive learning tools that could help them make smarter decisions.

About AvaTrade

Founded in 2006, AvaTrade has grown into a leading regulated global broker, with a consistent quality focus that has been recognized with over 100 industry awards. The company’s vision is to empower every trader to trade with confidence in any region at any time, with access to a diversity of financial instruments and markets. Clients can trade a wide range of instruments, including stocks, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and foreign exchange (Forex), within a structured, risk-aware environment. AvaTrade seeks to support trader confidence by offering secure access, intuitive platforms, and global market opportunities for traders at every stage. For more information, visit www.avatrade.com.

Disclaimer

Trading in financial instruments, including CFDs, forex, stocks, commodities, futures, and cryptocurrencies, involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Awards and recognitions referenced in this release are granted by independent third-party organizations based on their own methodologies and criteria and should not be construed as an endorsement, guarantee of future performance, or recommendation to trade. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Individuals should carefully consider their investment objectives, level of experience, and risk tolerance before engaging in trading activities and seek independent financial advice where appropriate.

Strategix has introduced its Company Advancement Model, a new approach that brings together reputation management, PR, marketing, and branding into a unified system for business growth.

Audiences no longer perceive brands in fragments — people engage with companies simultaneously through social media, press coverage, websites, advertising, and offline touchpoints, and they quickly notice any discrepancies in messaging, visual identity, or positioning.

The introduction of the Company Advancement Model reflects changing consumer expectations around brand consistency and trust across multiple communication channels. 

"We built Strategix to connect reputation-driven PR, marketing, and branding into a single strategic process. Our goal is not just to make brands visible, but to make them recognizable, trusted, and commercially stronger," said Strategix CEO Liubov Krasnoslobodtseva.

Strategix supports this process end-to-end from positioning and media presence to communication strategy and brand scaling across international markets.

To view the projects completed by Strategix, visit strategix-pr.com/en/#our-projects

About Strategix

Strategix is an international strategic communications agency that helps companies, entrepreneurs, experts, and personal brands build their reputation and scale across international markets — including the US, UK, UAE, Germany, Spain, Greece, Georgia, and beyond. The agency offers services across reputation strategy, marketing strategy, AI marketing, PR and media relations, branding, brand platform development, visual identity, brand positioning, advertising campaigns, content production, event communications, digital analytics, and market-entry communications. The Strategix team works with both high-growth businesses and established companies. Our specialists and leadership bring more than six years of experience in PR, marketing, and communications, with over 150 completed cases spanning technology startups, B2B services, industrial projects, and international brands. For more information, visit strategix-pr.com/en.

Media Contact

Strategix Team
strategixpr@gmail.com
+49 175 6201738

Amid the global transition toward green and low-carbon development, competition in international markets is becoming increasingly intense. Chinese brands are leveraging technological innovation to write a new chapter in their global expansion. Among them, Shouxin Advanced Polymer Sciences Co., Ltd., formerly Guangdong Shouxin Environmental Protection Materials Technology Co., Ltd. ("Shouxin"), a high-tech enterprise based in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, has emerged as a notable example. Through its independently developed polyacrylamide products, the company successfully replaced a leading German chemical brand and became a core supplier to a renowned paper manufacturer in Southeast Asia, demonstrating how Chinese innovation is breaking long-standing international monopolies.

The story began with a persistent challenge faced by the Southeast Asian paper producer: high operating costs and unsatisfactory treatment performance. For more than two decades, the company had relied on European and American brands for its flocculants. However, the high concentration of organic pollutants and significant pH fluctuations in its wastewater made treatment particularly demanding. To address the issue, Shouxin assembled a dedicated technical team that worked on-site for two weeks. Leveraging its proprietary large-scale product selection technology, the team conducted operational-condition simulations and multiple rounds of comparative data analysis before developing a customized solution tailored to the client’s complex application environment.

The performance efficiency of Shouxin’s product reached 91%, significantly outperforming the German competitor’s 74%. At the same time, sludge dewatering costs were reduced by 35%, generating annual savings of more than $2 million for the paper manufacturer.

“Chinese technology has not only solved the long-standing problem of unstable flocculation performance, but has also improved the return on our environmental investments by nearly 30%,” said a representative of the Southeast Asian paper company during the project acceptance process. After more than 20 years of cooperation with the German supplier, the company had never expected a Chinese enterprise to surpass it so significantly in both core performance and overall cost-effectiveness. “The stability and value proposition of Shouxin’s products have exceeded our expectations,” the representative added.

Such international recognition is the result of Shouxin’s 18 years of dedication to technological innovation and product quality. Behind its success lies a strong technological foundation built through high-level research collaboration between Chinese and American academicians. The company maintains long-term partnerships with leading scientific teams, including those led by Academician Shen Yinchu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Academician Phil S. Baran of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Their expertise has provided critical support for breakthroughs in formulation stability and product performance.

At the same time, Shouxin has established its own in-house R&D team, focusing on formulation stability, performance optimization, and application-specific adaptation. Today, the company holds multiple core invention patents and has participated in drafting both industry and national standards. In 2025, Shouxin was recognized among the “Top 100 Enterprises” at China IE Expo, competing alongside international industry leaders. It also received the “Exclusive Brand Award for China Polyacrylamide Industry: Decade-Long Quality Stability (2015-2025),” becoming the only Chinese domestic enterprise to earn this distinction.

Notably, Shouxin’s international breakthrough comes at a critical stage in China’s pursuit of its dual-carbon goals and high-quality economic development, serving as a vivid example of the transformation from “Made in China” to “Intelligent Manufacturing from China.” Over the past three years, the company has continued to increase investment in environmental technology research and development, using innovation to drive industrial upgrading.

From once relying on imported technologies to now breaking international monopolies through independent innovation, Shouxin’s journey highlights the multiplier effect of technological advancement on the real economy. Chinese environmental technology companies are gradually gaining a stronger voice in global industrial chains, evolving from followers of international standards into active contributors to their development.

Industry experts note that Shouxin’s path — from competing on price to creating value, and from deep domestic cultivation to global expansion — illustrates how Chinese environmental enterprises can unlock international markets through technological innovation. Its experience offers a valuable roadmap for other private companies seeking to expand overseas: build core competitiveness through innovation, earn international trust through consistent quality, and establish a firm foothold in the global marketplace.

Media Contact

Zhang Bao
info@shouxinpam.com

On June 12, 2026, the 8th BAAI Conference officially commenced at the Zhongguancun (ZGC) International Innovation Center. Hosted by the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), a world-leading non-profit AI research institute, this conference has evolved into one of the world’s premier academic conferences in artificial intelligence. Every June, the world’s leading academics gather in Beijing to discuss the latest advances in technology. This year’s conference achieved an unprecedented scale, drawing more than 10,000 on-site participants and over 5 million online viewers. As of its 8th edition, the BAAI Conference has hosted 14 Turing Award laureates. Sam Altman is also among the distinguished guests who have delivered keynote addresses at the summit.

It is widely recognized for its emphasis on cutting-edge technologies, global vision and the cultivation of emerging talents. The conference convenes researchers, industry executives and young scientists across the globe to present The latest research breakthroughs, delve into cutting-edge theories academic theories and share industry insights.

This year's conference features an unprecedented gathering of leading AI researchers. Whitfield Diffie, Turing Award laureate and pioneer of modern public-key cryptography, attended in person to discuss security and trust challenges in the emerging Agent era. Andrew Barto, Turing Award laureate and one of the pioneers of reinforcement learning, explored the implications of interaction-driven intelligence for the next generation of AI systems.

More than 200 leading scholars, over 40 AI company CEOs, founders and chief scientists, and more than 30 young scientists under the age of 30 have gathered in Beijing. For the first time, many of China's most influential innovators in world models and AI agents are appearing together on a single stage.

The conference also brings together thousands of prominent researchers from across the global AI community to engage in discussions on world models, general-purpose AI agents, embodied intelligence, AI safety, AI-native education, the token economy and OPC, as well as next-generation intelligent computing architectures.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Huang Tiejun, Chairman of the BAAI Board of Directors.

Wang Zhongyuan, President of BAAI, delivered the institute's "2026 Research Progress Report," presenting the latest advances in foundation models, AI agents, foundational software and hardware ecosystems, as well as updates on BAAI's open-source initiatives.

Since its establishment in 2018, BAAI has released the WuDao series of foundation models and the WuJie family of world models, building a comprehensive open-source technology ecosystem for large AI models from the ground up. From the early stages of foundation model development to today's emerging era of embodied AI, BAAI has remained at the forefront of AI research and innovation.

To date, BAAI has open-sourced more than 200 AI models, with cumulative global downloads exceeding one billion. The institute has also incubated a number of startups in both large-model and embodied AI sectors.

At the 2024 BAAI Conference, the institute outlined its vision for the evolution of artificial intelligence, particularly foundation models. Today, AI is rapidly advancing from large language models to multimodal models and further toward world models, accelerating the transition from the digital world into the physical world.

Over the past year, BAAI has achieved significant research breakthroughs in foundation models, AI agents, and foundational software and hardware ecosystems. Drawing on its exploration of multimodal and world models, the institute presented a systematic review of the development of world-model technologies, and introduced a four-category framework for understanding existing world-model architectures. Research on WuJie·Emu3, a native multimodal world model, was published in Nature in January 2026. BAAI also released an AI-ready neuroscience dataset and the data platform BrainToken alongside WuJie·Brainμ 1.0. WuJie·Brainμ stands as the world’s first unified multimodal neuroscience large model capable of synchronous comprehension and generation, constructing a universal multimodal neuroscience foundational base grounded in world-model technologies. The joint technical achievement, co-developed by BAAI and Tsinghua University, was published in Science.

During the opening ceremony, Whitfield Diffie and Andrew Barto each delivered keynote speeches addressing critical challenges and opportunities in the future of AI.

A featured live podcast titled "A Decade Ahead of the Curve" brought together Huang Tiejun and Wang Jian, Founder of Alibaba Cloud and Director of Zhijiang Lab. The panel explored the evolution of artificial intelligence paradigms and dissected how foundation models elevate systemic architecture development capabilities and advance paradigm innovation. It also addressed key challenges, including limitations in internet-scale text data.

As AI enters the agent era, the speakers discussed the profound opportunities and risks associated with large-scale deployment of autonomous intelligent agents in the real world. They also shared long-term perspectives on the evolving relationship between humans and AI, and on how human civilization and AI systems may coexist in the future.

In the roundtable session titled "Reshape the World: A Summit Dialogue on Foundation Models," Wang Zhongyuan joined leading AI researchers and industry pioneers, including Zhu Jun, Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Technology of Tsinghua University; Luo Fuli, Head of Xiaomi's MiMo Project; Liu Zhiyuan, Professor at Tsinghua University; and Bo An, Presidential Chair Professor and Dean of the College of Computing and Data Science at Nanyang Technological University.

The panel explored the evolution of advanced foundation model capabilities, AI RSI (recursive self improvement), multimodal intelligence, and world models, examining how AI is moving beyond digital environments and increasingly interacting with the physical world.

Participants agreed that increasingly capable foundation models and agent systems are opening new possibilities, while self-evolving AI may become a catalyst for future advances in AI. The rapid maturation of multimodal and world-model technologies is expected to accelerate AI's transition from digital spaces into real-world applications. They also emphasized the importance of creating broader opportunities for young researchers to participate in shaping the future of AI.

BAAI continues to strengthen the foundations of global AI innovation through academic breakthroughs, ecosystem development, startup incubation, and comprehensive open-source initiatives.

Media Contact

Yang Xiyang
xyyang01@baai.ac.cn

The global gold market, valued at an estimated $35 trillion in 2026, has long presented a paradox: a vast store of wealth, yet largely stagnant. Until now. Arizona-based Monetary Metals, founded by CEO Keith Weiner in 2012, is disrupting this historical norm by transforming gold from a passive asset into a dynamic, yield-generating investment.

“For too long, gold has been sitting completely idle, unable to earn a yield,” explains Weiner. “Our team is pioneering a new capital market where gold itself, not just fiat currency, generates returns. As people increasingly turn to gold amidst concerns about paper currencies, we provide a mechanism to put this asset to productive use,” says Weiner.  

Previously, investors were only able to buy and sell gold for dollar gains. Monetary Metals provides two fixed-income options for gold and silver: leases and bonds. This is made possible through a marketplace platform that allows owners to lend their precious metals to qualified industry businesses like jewelry manufacturers or gold refiners in exchange for a return paid in more ounces of metal. Investors retain ownership while still gaining compound interest in the form of gold or silver.

Going for Gold 

As leaders in this new market, Weiner and his team can provide clients with opportunities of great value. They are currently paying 3.96% on gold, paid in gold, annually. This may not seem like much, but over time, the compounding yield adds up. For example, if a client had owned 100 ounces of gold with Monetary Metals over a 10-year period beginning in January, 2016, that client would have over 147 ounces of gold, worth $721,386, compared to 95.11 ounces ($465,303) of gold in storage, or 96.07 ounces in GLD ($470,000). (See historical analysis disclosure below.)

Named on Inc. 5000’s 2025 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, Monetary Metals is gearing up for massive expansion. Soon, Weiner predicts the company will grow by an additional 600% from its current 192,000 ounces of gold under management. “We’re attracting gold at faster and faster rates,” says Weiner. “We’ve been doubling every year, and I expect that to increase. This market has real legs. And in the next three to five years, our approach will be a well-known, obvious path on how to earn with gold.” 

The Golden Hippocratic Oath

Central to Monetary Metals’ growth and ongoing success is its unwavering commitment to protecting investor assets, encapsulated in its Golden Hippocratic Oath: “Above all else, we strive to lose no gold.” 

When handling investors’ gold, the team at Monetary Metals takes a layered approach to minimizing risk. For leases, clients’ gold remains in their name, and ownership is never transferred to Monetary Metals or a third party. Various types of insurance coverage, including shipping insurance, vault insurance, and lease insurance, are included. 

Monetary Metals isn’t just defining a new capital market; this Arizona-headquartered innovator is shaping the future of finance, demonstrating how an ancient asset can be productive and thrive in a modern economy. 

“Everyone should be able to save and finance business in gold,” says Weiner. “We argue that the need for compounded interest is a universal human need. There’s a steep opportunity cost for anybody who doesn’t have that access. Part of our mission is to provide access to this new market for yield on gold to anyone who wants it, globally.”

About Monetary Metals

Monetary Metals delivers a yield on gold, paid in gold, via its Gold Yield Marketplace™ platform, by offering gold-denominated financing to qualified companies in the precious metals industry. Through its gold leases and gold bonds, investors and institutions worldwide earn a yield on gold and silver every month, compounding their holdings over time with no storage fees. For more information, visit www.monetary-metals.com.

Disclaimer

This release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice, or an offer to buy or sell any security or financial product. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Any forward-looking statements, projections, or hypothetical analyses are based on current assumptions and are subject to change.

The provided historical analysis is hypothetical only and not an indicator of future returns. The analysis uses the monthly gold price from January 1, 2016, to January 1, 2026, the current weighted average annual yield of 3.96% at Monetary Metals (income paid monthly), an annual vault storage rate of 0.50%, and an annual expense ratio of 0.40% for GLD. 

Media Contact

Hillary Bowling
hbowling@monetary-metals.com

Greg B. Holland, President of Pacific NW Marble & Granite, has announced expanded operations with a new 65,000-square-foot fabrication facility designed to support growing national demand while addressing evolving safety standards in the stone industry. The move marks a strategic shift for the company, which has long been focused on wholesale contracts and large-scale projects but is now positioned for broader market visibility and future retail growth.

The expansion reflects nearly two decades of steady growth under Holland’s leadership, as well as a business philosophy centered on scalability, workforce safety and long-term client relationships. Through the expansion of Pacific NW Marble & Granite, Holland hopes the company will gain more retail customers, as its current clientele is primarily wholesale businesses. 

The Development of Pacific NW Marble and Granite

Holland was 22 years old when he founded Pacific NW Marble & Granite in 2006. He began with a modest 2,000-square-foot shop and, over the past 19 years, has successfully steered the company’s expansion, transforming it into one of the largest stone fabrication and installation businesses in the United States. 

The company now operates across Oregon and much of Washington State, holding licenses in Montana, Utah, Washington and Oregon. His portfolio of companies includes PNW Group LLC, Baptista Stone in Bend, Oregon; and Budget Rooter Plumbing Service.

Before establishing Pacific NW Marble & Granite, Holland completed coursework in engineering at Oregon State University. Beginning his professional career as a countertop fabricator, he held this role for three years before launching his own venture. He is a member of the Natural Stone Institute (formerly the Marble Institute of America) and previously served on the board of the McNary Gold Club in Keizer, Oregon.

Holland’s professional responsibilities include overseeing daily operations, invoicing, billing, pricing points and contracts, as well as collaborating with the commercial division on bid reviews. Throughout his career, he has credited his success to a philosophy of good timing and the ability to build strong professional relationships. His approach to business is simple and informs his company’s motto: “Never say no.” It reflects his commitment to tackling complex projects, despite the challenge. 

Emerging as an Industry Leader

Holland’s focus on ethical and, above all, safe business practices has helped Pacific NW Marble & Granite emerge as an industry leader in his region. The company’s fabrication shop is designed for 100% wet cutting to eliminate employee exposure to silica, which can lead to silicosis, an incurable and potentially fatal lung disease, as well as other serious respiratory illnesses. 

This is a significant industry development that tackles a number of safety and compliance issues. The facility also features a fully recycled water system, and the company conducts its own silica testing to ensure it complies with OSHA requirements.

Holland’s work has been recognized in trade publications, with a feature in Stone World magazine. He finds satisfaction in cultivating a work environment where his employees can develop and improve their lives, believing that their growth strengthens the company and its ability to better serve customers.

As Pacific NW Marble & Granite expands its capabilities and reach, Holland remains focused on sustainable growth and operational excellence. He looks forward to delivering reliable, high-quality service to clients across the region and beyond. Holland, along with his wife Brittnie, looks forward to creating a long-lasting legacy for their children, Teagan and Everett.

About Pacific NW Marble & Granite

Founded in 2006, Pacific NW Marble & Granite is one of the largest stone fabrication and installation companies in the country, offering primarily custom granite and quartz. The company operates throughout Oregon and much of Washington and is also licensed to work in Montana and Utah. It is committed to delivering the finest materials, workmanship and personal attention to the residential homeowners and general contractors it serves.

About Marquis Who's Who

Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the first edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, marquiswhoswho.com.

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Marquis Who’s Who
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Trenez, a leading Oracle business partner with decades of experience serving the homebuilding, land development, real estate management, projects and service, and financials industries, today announced a strategic partnership with MakeInfinite Labs, the research and development firm that builds verifiable data infrastructure for some of the most demanding data environments in the world. 

Enterprises modernizing decades-old systems struggle to store, trust and move data in real time across platforms that were never built to work together. Closing that gap requires two things most firms can't offer together: data and AI engineering built to perform under real load, and people with deep expertise of the systems it has to connect to. The partnership between Trenez and MakeInfinite Labs brings both. 

MakeInfinite Labs brings engineering credentials earned at the frontier of data and AI infrastructure. The firm originally developed Space and Time, the verifiable data platform backed by M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund. The team also invented Proof of SQL, a patented method for cryptographically verifying data, now integrated in Google BigQuery and powering verifiable data across institutional finance and AI. In 2025, MakeInfinite Labs integrated Space and Time's blockchain data with Microsoft Fabric, putting trusted, real-time data directly inside the Azure ecosystem. The same team and the same standard of engineering sit behind the Azure delivery in this partnership. 

Under the partnership, Trenez will provide overall engagement leadership and accountability, enterprise and integration architecture ownership, industry expertise and domain translation, Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne alignment, downstream business integration, program governance, roadmap alignment, and client enablement. 

"Enterprise modernization is no longer just a technical initiative," said Chad Holewinski, CEO of Trenez. "Our clients need partners who understand their business, their ecosystem, their data, and the cloud platforms that will support their future growth. With MakeInfinite Labs, we are bringing our clients engineering of a caliber that most enterprises rarely get access to, applied directly to their modernization roadmap." 

The two firms will operate as strategic partners under a single delivery model. Trenez leads engagement strategy, enterprise and integration architecture, downstream business integration, program governance, and client enablement. MakeInfinite Labs delivers Azure Integration Services implementation, Data Hub architecture, ETL and ELT engineering, real-time data pipelines, API infrastructure and Azure API Management, DevOps automation, observability, performance optimization, and Azure cost optimization. 

"Enterprise modernization succeeds when the right expertise comes together under accountable teams," said Nate Holiday, CEO of MakeInfinite Labs. "Pairing our world-class data engineering team with Trenez's industry depth lets us modernize clients' data infrastructure as one effort, with no gaps between the architecture and the systems it has to serve."

About MakeInfinite Labs

MakeInfinite Labs is a frontier protocol research lab contributing to some of the most prominent protocols and ecosystems, including the creation of Space and Time. MakeInfinite Labs raised $50 million from Microsoft’s M12 Ventures and other leading investors to build the infrastructure that enables developers and creators to build data-driven applications, tokenize and monetize and win in the AI economy. For more information, visit www.makeinfinite.com.

About Trenez

Trenez is a leading Oracle business partner with decades of experience helping clients modernize, optimize, and extend Oracle EnterpriseOne and related enterprise systems. The firm serves clients across homebuilding, land development, real estate management, projects and services, and financials industries, bringing deep industry knowledge, enterprise architecture experience, and practical delivery leadership to complex transformation initiatives. For more information, visit www.trenez.com and follow on LinkedIn.

Media Contact

Catherine Daly
marketing@makeinfinite.com