The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

1. Life at SIM CCA - https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/life-at-sim/co-curricular-activities
2. SIM Global Education – https://www.sim.edu.sg
3. Project 1095 – https://project1095.simge.edu.sg
4. Building Leadership Through CCAs Enhancing the SIM Experience - https://regional.simge.edu.sg/en/building-leadership-through-ccas-enhancing-the-sim-experience/

https://www.sim.edu.sg/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

For more about TUMI, visit TUMI.com

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Executive leadership travel
• Commercial and client facing teams
• Project based and technical specialists

• Crew and workforce mobility
• Offshore and rotational travel
• Highly customized logistics to remote and complex destinations

• One global platform for business travel across regions
• Centralized visibility and governance for travel and finance teams
• Standardized policies with controlled local flexibility
• A consistent traveler experience for employees worldwide

The result is better oversight, improved efficiency and a more streamlined experience for business travelers operating within complex global organizations.

https://www.dt.com/

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Test & Evaluate: XecART conducts multi-turn dialogue testing and autonomous Red Teaming for risks such as target misalignment, Prompt Injection, and tool abuse. It helps enterprises verify that AI Agents remain secure, stable, and compliant within complex multi-agent environments.
• Operation: XecGuard provides continuous monitoring and analysis of dialogue content to detect whether AI Agents are being induced to execute Tool Calls that deviate from their assigned tasks or generate unsafe workflows. Furthermore, XecGuard offers both API and Gateway modes to meet diverse industry requirements for regulation, data sovereignty, and deployment, allowing for rapid integration with existing AI applications, agent architectures, and internal workflows.

Empower Developers: XecGuard Community Support Program

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Website: www.bk8.news

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

• Global payment: Making payments a growth engine for businesses of all sizes to thrive in the global digital economy.
• Global account: Enabling AI-powered borderless global accounts for businesses of all sizes, and serving as the ticket to digital trade and commerce. This makes 'born global' a reality for all businesses from day one.
• Strategic value boosters: Leveraging innovation and technology to deliver embedded financing, credit and treasury solutions that power inclusive growth.
• Innovation and technology leadership: Grounded in extensive expertise in supporting global payments and businesses of all sizes, Ant International's leading AI and blockchain solutions are co-developed with customers, partners and regulators to deliver real impact while ensuring security and compliance.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

To learn more, please visit https://www.ant-intl.com/

"The NAS industry is splitting into two paths: closed ecosystems that sell you subscriptions, or open platforms that let you own everything. We chose open. ZimaCube 2 ships with unlocked PCIe slots, community-driven software, and enough compute to run local AI, because the next decade of NAS is about what your hardware can do, not just what it can store," said Lauren Pan, CEO of IceWhale.

Powered by ZimaOS: Self-Hosting Without the Sysadmin Tax

ZimaCube 2 ships with ZimaOS pre-installed, a Docker-native OS refined through over 4 million downloads. Users get a visual app store with one-click deployment for Plex, Jellyfin, Immich, Nextcloud, Home Assistant, and 800+ more. ZimaOS also mounts existing NAS volumes, cloud drives, and USB disks into one unified file manager, so users can bring scattered data home without migrating everything at once. TrueNAS, Proxmox, Unraid, Ubuntu, and Windows are also supported on the same x86 hardware.

Open Expansion: Inside and Out

Where many NAS vendors lock down PCIe or solder in fixed accelerators, ZimaCube 2 leaves both slots open: 1x PCIe 4.0 (x16, 4-lane) and 1x PCIe 3.0 (x8, 2-lane) for a GPU, transcoder, 25GbE NIC, or NVMe expansion card. Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports provide DAS-level direct-connect to a Mac or PC with zero network setup.

Who It's For

ZimaCube 2 is built for homelab enthusiasts consolidating single-purpose devices into one always-on system, creators who need 10 GbE and GPU-ready expansion, and privacy-conscious households who want data stored on hardware they own. No cloud account, no monthly fee.

Hardware Tuned for Storage and Self-Hosting

Intel 12th Gen Core processors pair Performance cores for burst compute with Efficiency cores for always-on background services. DDR5 provides the memory bandwidth multi-service workloads demand. Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, The 6+4 hybrid storage architecture combines 4x M.2 NVMe slots and 6x 3.5" SATA bays in one chassis, over 212TB of raw capacity. Three tiers share this foundation:

ZimaCube 2 ($799) — Intel Core i3-1215U (6 cores, 4.4 GHz), 8 GB DDR5 (expandable to 64 GB), 256 GB NVMe, dual 2.5 GbE. Ready to run a full self-hosting stack out of the box.

ZimaCube 2 Pro ($1,299) — Intel Core i5-1235U (10 cores, 12 threads, 4.4 GHz), 16 GB DDR5 (expandable to 64 GB), 4x M.2 NVMe at 3,200 MB/s, onboard 10 GbE. The sweet spot for self-hosting at scale.

ZimaCube 2 Creator Pack ($2,499) — Same i5 platform maxed to 64 GB DDR5, 1 TB NVMe, plus NVIDIA RTX PRO 2000 pre-installed. A complete local AI and media workstation, ready on first boot.

ZimaCube 2 is available now at shop.zimaspace.com.

https://shop.zimaspace.com/

Investors may access the conference call and accompanying presentation on the Company's website at www.webullcorp.com/investor-relations. For those unable to listen to the conference call, a recorded version will be made available for replay.

Details of the conference call are as follows:

URL: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=GOLJRG6O
Participant Dial-in (North America Toll Free): 1-844-744-1431
International Participant Dial-in: 1-412-564-6518

775 new companies established their regional presence in DIFC during the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the Centre's prominence for finance, business, and innovation. This represents a 62 per cent increase on the same period in 2025, when 478 companies set up in the Centre. Performance was particularly strong in March 2026 with 258 companies establishing a presence, up from 162 in March 2025, reflecting 59 per cent year-on-year growth.

The continued influx of firms reflects a broader shift in global financial flows, as institutions and investors reaffirm their commitment to Dubai and DIFC despite ongoing global uncertainty. In this context, Dubai has emerged as a preferred global hub, reinforcing momentum towards its ambition to rank among the world's top four financial centres.

New companies establishing in DIFC include Arrowpoint Investment Partners (AIP Management), Braemar Securities, Blue Mountain Capacity, Janus Henderson Investors, Keystone Financial Solutions, National Bank of Canada, Photon Dance, Prospera Wealth Management, RV Capital Management and Ryan Specialty (DIFC) Limited.

HE Essa Kazim, Governor, DIFC said: "Dubai's standing as a globally top ten ranked financial centre, particularly during a period of global uncertainty, reflects the strength of the Emirate's vision and the central role DIFC continues to play in delivering it. DIFC's contribution to enhancing investor confidence, strengthening legal and regulatory transparency, and attracting global capital remains instrumental in reinforcing Dubai's position as a leading financial hub. This sustained progress supports the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), further cementing Dubai's role as a key pillar in the global economic landscape."

Reflecting sustained demand from regulated financial institutions, DIFC recorded a 21 per cent increase in financial services authorisations during the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

158 foundations registered in DIFC during the first quarter of 2026, representing 108 per cent growth since the same period last year.

DIFC completed DIFC Square ahead of schedule, achieving full occupancy prior to handover. Progress on DIFC's landmark Zabeel District expansion continues as planned, creating a future-ready destination that blends commercial, residential, and lifestyle offerings.

"We do not view agents as the end state—they are a step along the path toward digital humans," said Grant Han, CEO of SentiPulse. "Agents provide the ability to execute tasks and take action, serving as the operational layer that enables digital humans to perform work. At the same time, we are developing capabilities for emotional awareness and expression in digital human systems."

In practical use, users no longer interact with a passive tool that waits for instructions. Instead, they engage with an always-available system designed for ongoing interaction over time. During conversations, the system can invoke underlying agent capabilities to execute multi-step tasks, including retrieving information, processing files, and completing automated workflows within a single interaction.

This design reflects a shift in the user-system relationship from single-session interactions to persistent engagement. According to SentiPulse, this transition affects not only user experience but also system performance. "If users only engage the system when a task arises, it becomes difficult for an agent to build meaningful context," said Grant Han. "The duration of interaction directly shapes execution quality."

From a technical standpoint, SentiPulse positions the AI persona as the interaction and presence layer, responsible for user-facing engagement and continuity, while agents provide the underlying execution and behavioral capabilities. Together, they enable the system to complete tasks while incrementally building a more detailed understanding of the user over time. In SentiPulse's framework, AI personas are early forms of digital humans, unifying personality, memory, and action.

In the agent space, as execution capabilities become more standardized, competition is shifting from "what the system can do" to "whether it is used continuously over time." SentiPulse frames this as a flywheel: longer engagement leads to richer context, improved system understanding, increased efficiency, stronger user reliance, and continued usage.

Grant Han noted that this approach is becoming viable due to the parallel maturation of several technologies, including large-scale models, long-term memory systems, and agent frameworks. SentiPulse has also built a foundation in the 3D digital human domain, with capabilities spanning character design, motion generation frameworks, interaction datasets, and dialogue decision models.

Within this context, the role of agents is also evolving. Rather than functioning as standalone applications, they are increasingly positioned as a foundational capability layer supporting more complex interactive systems. For SentiPulse, however, this layer is not the final destination. The ultimate goal is a digital human system capable of sustained interaction with users in a continuous operating context.

The research collaboration, being led by Professor Greeshma Gadikota at Columbia's Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering and Columbia Climate School, is focused on developing potential processing pathways for the recovery, separation and metallization of rare earth elements and associated critical metals from carbonatite and bastnasite style mineral systems, including the mineralization style relevant to Locksley's El Campo REE project within its Mojave Project in the Mountain Pass region.

"The work completed to date has provided us with alternative processing routes aimed at simplifying downstream flowsheets that can be evaluated for our project," said Kerrie Matthews, Managing Director and CEO of Locksley. "The next phase of this partnership will use Locksley samples and assess the implications of these results for future consideration. Of key importance is that this work is being conducted in parallel with maiden exploration at El Campo, enabling us to better understand all the potential development pathways as the project advances."

Additional details on the project and work conducted to date can be found here: https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-03083570-6A1322598&v=undefined.

This collaboration is one of several Locksley has in place. Earlier this month the company reported on its advancement toward production of high purity antimony concentrate and next-generation materials as a result of its sponsored research program with Rice University in Texas.

Locksley Resources Limited (https://www.locksleyresources.com.au) is focused on critical minerals in the US. The Company is actively advancing the Mojave Project in California, targeting rare earth elements (REEs) and antimony. Locksley is executing a mine-to-market strategy for antimony, aimed at reestablishing domestic supply chains for critical materials, underpinned by strategic downstream technology partnerships with leading U.S. research institutions and industry partners. This integrated approach combines resource development with innovative processing and separation technologies, positioning Locksley to play a key role in advancing U.S. critical minerals independence.

The Company's Mojave Project is located adjacent to MP Materials Mountain Pass Mine and mill, the only REE producing mine in the United States to date.

Now in its fourth consecutive edition, VIS 2026 has established itself as a reputable international event, bringing global buyers to meet directly with Vietnamese enterprises, while also combining field visits to raw material areas and manufacturing facilities.

Last year, the event drew strong interest, attracting 450 foreign business delegations from 60 countries and territories for supply chain connections.

Vietnam is a major sourcing hub for global buyers

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in the United States, in a recent meeting, representatives of Walmart confirmed they will send senior executives to attend and work at VIS 2026.

Vietnam is currently among the top five exporting countries supplying goods to Walmart’s global system.

Each year, Walmart places orders worth billions of dollars for Vietnam-made products to be sold across its retail network, with both order volume and value rising annually.

The group had participated in all three previous editions of VIS in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Over the past three editions, alongside Walmart, the event has attracted major names such as Uniqlo, Central Group, Coppel, Decathlon and LuLu Group International to Vietnam. These buyers have either secured new suppliers across a wide range of product categories or expanded orders with existing partners.

Do Ngoc Hung, trade counsellor and head of Vietnam Trade Office in the United States, said that through the three editions, the office has connected hundreds of US buyers with Vietnamese manufacturers.

“Many purchase contracts have been signed and established directly at the events,” he said.

As US companies increasingly view Vietnam as a more professional sourcing destination, this also implies significant room for export growth to the market of more than 350 million people. In the first quarter of this year, Vietnam’s exports to the United States rose sharply by 24.3 per cent, reaching $39 billion.

Businesses from the 27-member European Union are focusing on product groups such as wood and furniture, electronics, textiles and garments, footwear, processed foods and agricultural products. The EU is Vietnam’s third-largest export market after the United States and China.

Last year alone, Vietnam exported $475 billion worth of goods to global markets, including major destinations such as the United States with more than $153 billion – up 28.1 per cent, the EU with $56.2 billion – up 8.6 per cent, ASEAN with $38.4 billion – up 3.8 per cent, and China with $70.4 billion – up 14.8 per cent on-year.

Through engagement with global buyers, Vietnamese businesses are gaining a better understanding of market-specific preferences, enabling them to upgrade production and meet new standards.

Tran Ngoc Quan, trade counsellor of Vietnam in Belgium and the EU, noted that global buyers are not only seeking competitively priced products, but also value long-term production capacity, flexibility, reliability, and transparency across the entire value chain.

“European consumers have strong demand for new products –recyclability in textiles and sustainability in coffee, for example. Therefore, EU buyers are no longer looking for simple exporters as before, but increasingly prioritise partners with sustainable production capabilities, transparency, and compliance with stringent environmental and traceability standards,” he said.

The growing return of international buyers to Vietnam not only reflects the country’s existing advantages, but also highlights substantial room for further expansion in production and exports.

Going forward, maintaining quality, raising standards and developing sustainable production will be key for Vietnam to remain a preferred destination in ever-shifting global supply chains.

Exhibition promoting direct interactions with global suppliers in the plastics and rubber industry With the keen interest of many individuals, organisations, and enterprises, Plastics & Rubber Vietnam 2022 - Vietnam’s leading event on plastic and rubber technology, raw materials and equipment, and machinery - will officially take place between July 6 and 8.

Sustaining growth in a volatile global environment Businesses are embracing various ways to sustain growth amid escalating global trade tensions due to reciprocal tariff measures between major economies.

Businesses shift to local supply chains and market diversification amid new US tariffs Vietnamese businesses are adapting to new US tariffs by investing in local supply chains, exploring new export markets, and innovating to maintain competitiveness in a challenging global landscape.

Amid rising inflation, interest rates, and liquidity pressures, Asia-Pacific Growth Corporates (mid-sized firms with annual revenues between $50 million and $1 billion) increasingly view efficient cash flow management as essential, with working capital becoming a more strategic tool for driving growth and resilience. Yet, nearly half of the region's Growth Corporates are not utilising any working capital solutions, even as companies need more flexible access to cash.

Visa has identified three key themes from the WCI report that are relevant to businesses in Asia-Pacific.

Misalignment between financial products and operational needs

Mid-sized businesses across Asia-Pacific face shifting working capital realities, including longer cash cycles, more structural payment delays and growing pressure to free up cross-border liquidity faster. However, most financial solutions have not kept up, with many remaining too rigid or generic for Asia-Pacific's diverse industries and fast-moving markets.

This growing disconnect between traditional financial product design and the real-world needs of businesses is driving CFOs to call for faster, more flexible and fully digital tools that align with real cash cycles and deliver capital at the speed of business.

Notably, 47 per cent of Growth Corporates do not utilise working capital tools, often because existing solutions do not align with their operational models. At the same time, 41 per cent of firms want simplified digital tools for credit and account management, while 38 per cent seek on-demand financing aligned with cash flow cycles, signalling demand for more flexible financial solutions.

Financial institutions that create offerings around real business cycles, while rethinking underwriting, approval speed and flexibility, will be better positioned to support the evolving needs of Growth Corporates.

Working capital as a strategic growth lever

While many firms lack suitable tools, leading finance teams in Asia-Pacific are treating working capital as a strategic lever rather than a last resort, using early supplier payments, virtual cards and flexible funding to strengthen liquidity and respond more quickly to market opportunities. As a result, cards are evolving from transactional tools into working capital levers.

Accordingly, late customer payments can cost companies an average of $15.7 million annually, but those using card payments to speed up collections have reduced late-payment losses by around 10 per cent. Firms using working capital solutions can realise an average of $17.7 million in annual bottom-line benefits, equivalent to a 4.3 per cent revenue boost. 9 per cent of firms used working capital solutions to fund unplanned growth, up from 5.6 per cent in 2024-25.

By improving cash flow visibility and accelerating receivables, these finance leaders can unlock additional capital within their operating cycles, turning liquidity management into a competitive advantage with direct improvements to the bottom line.

Shifting demands on banks

Across regions, CFOs rank fast, on-demand access to capital and simplified digital credit management among their top priorities, but these needs are especially pronounced in Asia-Pacific, where companies operate in fast-moving and often volatile markets.

61 per cent of Asia-Pacific Growth Corporates now use AI or machine learning for working capital optimisation, including forecasting, risk scoring and automated approvals, as demand grows for embedded analytics and simpler digital credit management within banking platforms.

CFOs expect fast, on-demand access to liquidity through digital rails, including tools such as virtual cards, automated approvals and digital platforms that enable businesses to respond quickly to time-sensitive opportunities. Finance leaders prioritise industry-specific expertise from banking partners, seeking relationship managers who understand sector-specific business cycles, supplier relationships and capital expenditure needs.

These trends signal a shift in how CFOs expect to access and manage liquidity. As demand grows for faster, more flexible financing and digitally enabled finance management, banks and financial institutions will need to move beyond generic products by integrating AI-driven insights, streamlining approval processes and pairing digital capabilities with deeper industry expertise to better support the evolving expectations of Asia-Pacific CFOs.

"CFOs across Asia-Pacific want flexible, sector-specific tools that match their operational realities," said Chavi Jafa, head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, Asia-Pacific, Visa.

"Our data shows that agile, digital-first strategies and smarter forecasting are helping companies stay resilient and reinvest freed-up capital into growth. The Working Capital Index continues to spotlight how Growth Corporates are turning volatility into opportunity. At Visa, we are partnering across the ecosystem to deliver tailored, digital-first commercial solutions, like virtual cards integrated in ERP and digital enabler platforms, that help unlock working capital, accelerate approvals, and turn liquidity into a strategic growth lever."

Visa data highlights five key payment and travel trends in Vietnam for 2026 Visa, a global leader in digital payments, on January 13 released its outlook on the top five trends that will shape how Vietnamese people pay and travel in 2026.

Visa and Trip launch global virtual travel card programme Visa and Trip.com entered into a new global agreement designed to make booking and paying for travel more seamless for consumers and partners worldwide on March 17.

Visa launches contactless payment system across Hanoi metro network A fully interoperable open-loop payment system has been launched across Hanoi's metro network, enabling Visa cardholders to tap and go on all metro lines in Vietnam.

The survey fieldwork, conducted between March 3-19, coincided with the outbreak of the conflict in the region, which will have been a major factor weighing on respondents’ sentiment.

“As an export-oriented economy deeply integrated into global supply chains, Vietnam faces particular vulnerabilities from the forces identified in this survey. Brent crude prices rose by nearly 70 per cent following the outbreak of hostilities, threatening to drive up the costs of production and transportation of goods, directly affecting the competitiveness of Vietnamese exports,” the report said.

“The surge in fertiliser prices, driven by disrupted supply from the Middle East, further heightens pressure on Vietnam’s vital agricultural sector. Currency depreciation pressures on emerging economies add another layer of challenge for Vietnamese businesses and financial planners.”

Across Asia-Pacific, 33 per cent of respondents ranked geopolitical instability as their top risk priority in Q1, well above the global average of 25 per cent. Cybersecurity ranked second globally at 17 per cent, a growing concern as Vietnam’s digital economy expands.

Globally, 74 per cent of surveyed finance professionals now expect inflation to rise over the next three months, and 35 per cent expect interest rates to increase. Encouragingly, the Global New Orders Index registered a solid recovery and the Global Employment Index also improved, reflecting the underlying resilience of the global economy before the conflict escalated.

Accountatnts' top risk priorities over past year

Ren Varma, head of Mainland Southeast Asia at ACCA asserted that the Q1 GECS findings were a powerful reminder that global geopolitical instability was not a distant concern, but had direct and immediate implications for businesses and finance professionals in Vietnam.

“Rising operating costs, mounting inflationary pressures and the convergence of geopolitical, technological and economic risks demand faster adaptation than ever before. This is precisely when the integrity, professional expertise and strategic thinking of accountants matter most. The ACCA is committed to ensuring our members and future members in Vietnam are equipped to lead through this uncertainty,” Varma said.

The survey showed a sharp decline in confidence among accountants and finance professionals in the early months of this year. Sentiment is close to the series lows recorded at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, as firms grapple with the fourth major shock to hit the global economy already this decade. Confidence also fell very sharply among chief financial officers taking part in the survey.

“While the April two-week ceasefire brought hope to markets of some recovery from the biggest global oil shock since at least the 1970s, the enormous uncertainty clouding the global economy remains. Even if a more durable resolution is found energy and other commodity prices look set to remain elevated,” the report said.

While geopolitical instability unsurprisingly ranked as the top risk priority for accountants in Q1, it is only the second time since the global risks survey was added to the GECS in Q2 2023 that economic risks have not been the top concern. They were in third place after cyber risks, which were second.

Rachael Johnson, head of Risk Management and Corporate Governance at ACCA said that this shift did not suggest a reduction in economic worries, but a growing recognition of how converging forces shape the macro landscape.

“Respondents point to AI and cyber threats amplifying other risks, and emphasise how eroding trust in institutions, information and leadership, is becoming a defining feature of operating in today’s world,” she said.

Rising cost pressures were evident at businesses in Q1, with the percentage of respondents reporting increased operating costs at its highest rate since Q3 2022 in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Given the recent spike in the price of energy and other important commodities and increasing stresses in supply chains, the risk is that cost pressures facing firms will mount over coming months.

Some of the survey results were a bit more encouraging, likely owing to the resilience of the global economy ahead of the onset of the conflict in the Middle East. The Global New Orders Index registered a solid increase and is now at its historical average level. The Global Employment Index, which captures the hiring and firing decisions of firms, also improved somewhat, while remaining below its historical average.

“The global economy entered 2026 in decent shape, but enormous uncertainty currently clouds the outlook. Inflation is already beginning to rise sharply, and downside risks to growth will mount the longer energy and other commodity prices remain elevated,” said Alain Mulder, senior director, Europe Operations & Global Special Projects at IMA.

GECS global indicators

Jonathan Ashworth, chief economist at ACCA noted that major supply shocks created very tricky situations for policymakers.

“After years of above target inflation, central bankers need to tread cautiously so as to not let the inflation genie out of the bottle. Very high government debt levels also constrain the room for major fiscal support in many countries, even in advanced economies,” said Ashworth. “Developments in the Middle East over coming weeks and months will be absolutely key for global economic prospects over the remainder of this year.”

Global business confidence remains fragile despite Q2 uptick Global business confidence among professional accountants is showing tentative signs of a recovery, according to new data from an international survey.

ACCA builds new generation of financial leaders in Vietnam The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) celebrated its New Member Ceremony on October 13 and 14 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, highlighting the theme “Legacy of Leadership”.

ACCA urges firms not to delay sustainability reporting over data gaps As sustainability reporting requirements continue to evolve, new guidance from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants stresses that organisations should not be deterred by a lack of hard data, as reasonable estimates can still generate useful information.

Project Your World Anywhere

The TANK Pad Ultra is centered around a built-in 1080p DLP Projector with 260 lumens. Whether the user is projecting a tactical map on a canyon wall or hosting a movie night at a remote campsite, the visual clarity is stunning. Complemented by Dual Speakers, it delivers an immersive cinematic experience without external hardware.

Unmatched Battery Life and Utility

Powered by a massive 23400mAh battery, supported by 66W Super Charging to get you back in action quickly. Beyond its processing power, the TANK Pad Ultra is a survival powerhouse featuring a 800-lumen camping light that can illuminate an entire forest clearing.

Unstoppable Power & Performance

Under the hood, the Dimensity 8200 5G chipset paired with 16GB RAM and 512GB ROM ensures lightning-fast speeds for gaming, streaming, and heavy multitasking. Running on the latest Android 15, users enjoy the most secure and efficient software experience. With WiFi 6 support, staying connected in the field has never been smoother or faster.

Capture Darkness & Light

Record the world in any light with a versatile triple-camera system. The 50MP Main camera captures vivid daylight shots, while the 64MP Night Vision lens reveals the invisible in total darkness. For video conferencing or selfies, the 32MP Front camera ensures the user always looks best, even miles away from civilization.

The 8849 TANK Pad Ultra is more than a tablet - it's a rugged, all-in-one powerhouse designed to adapt to any environment. Combining projection, performance, and endurance, it delivers a unique experience that empowers users to work, explore, and enjoy without limits.

The TANK Pad Ultra is now available on 8849tech.com. Stay tuned for more updates.

That was the central message from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants’ (ACCA) annual Sustainability Conference, held on Earth Day on April 22, a virtual event attended by finance professionals from over 100 countries.

The argument put forward was not a moral one, but a financial one: organisations that fail to embed sustainability into their core strategy are accumulating risk, and in many cases, that risk is already materialising.

Sharon Machado, head of Sustainable Business at ACCA emphasised that sustainability strategy was not something that sits on the side, it's integrated within the business, and it's about risk management.

“When businesses think about geopolitical disruption, supply chain fragility, commodity availability or the impact of extreme weather on operations, they are, whether they recognise it or not, thinking about sustainability. The language of risk management and the language of sustainable business describe the same terrain,” she said.

Sharon Machado, head of Sustainable Business at the ACCA

Meanwhile, Andrea Amaize, risk, finance and sustainability leader said, “Though the business case for sustainability remains strong today, organisations that have toned down or deprioritised their sustainability commitments are trying to balance long-term sustainability objectives against pressures for near-term results.”

“However, immediate impacts of sustainability are being felt. Climate change is already affecting the availability and cost of insurance, purchasing decisions increasingly include questions about decarbonisation strategies, access to lower cost capital is becoming tied to sustainability performance and talent follows purpose.”

A core argument of the session was that sustainability, properly understood, is not only a cost driver but also a profitability generator, unlocking new revenue streams, reducing operating costs, improving resilience, strengthening brand value and creating competitive advantage.

Amaize also noted that, in today’s environment, it was important for organisations to clearly demonstrate how sustainability drives measurable financial outcomes, an area where finance professionals can play a pivotal role in evidencing this link.

Developing suitable talent for greener financial ambitions Vietnam’s ambition to develop international financial centres is sharpening the focus on talent capable of navigating sustainable finance and evolving standards. To Quoc Hung, country manager of ACCA Vietnam, spoke with VIR’s Khanh Linh about how the country can strengthen its green finance talent pipeline.

Small business ESG strategies unlocked A true sustainability ecosystem requires global endorsement, genuine green financing, and technology solutions to lower the cost of implementation for businesses.

ACCA rolls out career workshops for Vietnamese students and teachers The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has held a workshop in Hanoi to help operationalise career guidance at school level following new regulatory direction.

Organised by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and RE+ Events, the summit is positioned as a leading platform to advance wind energy deployment, with a strong focus on offshore, floating, and onshore wind, alongside emerging segments such as green hydrogen and Power-to-X solutions.

The event will convene policymakers, investors, developers, and technology providers to address key issues including regulatory frameworks, market expansion, and innovation pathways shaping the region’s energy transition. According to the organisers, the programme will feature high-level policy dialogues, technical sessions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities designed to foster cross-border collaboration.

The 2026 edition is expected to scale up significantly, with more than 1,500 attendees anticipated, of which over 40 per cent will be senior decision-makers such as CEOs, executives, and policymakers. This reflects increasing momentum in the Asia-Pacific wind sector, as countries accelerate their clean energy commitments and seek to strengthen energy security.

A key highlight of the summit will be its expanded exhibition space, showcasing technologies and solutions across the wind energy value chain, from turbine manufacturing and grid integration to energy storage and hydrogen production. The exhibition is designed to facilitate business development, partnership formation, and knowledge exchange among industry stakeholders.

In addition, national pavilions will provide a platform for countries and organisations to utilise market opportunities, policy priorities, and investment pipelines, enhancing regional cooperation and visibility. The presence of high-level delegations and initiatives such as the Global Offshore Wind Alliance is expected to strengthen policy dialogue and international coordination.

With Asia-Pacific emerging as one of the fastest-growing wind energy markets globally, the summit is set to play a pivotal role in connecting stakeholders and unlocking new investment flows. By bringing together the full value-chain under one roof, the event aims to support the scaling up of wind power and contribute to the region’s decarbonisation goals.

In early April, Travelife, a training, management and certification initiative for tourism companies, announced the partnership with Vietnamese sustainability consulting firm Green Transition as its national representative for tour operators in Vietnam.

The move marks an important step in strengthening tourism practices in the country. Through this partnership, the two sides aim to support Vietnamese tour operators in adopting internationally recognised standards and improving their environmental and social impact.

Travelife provides an international technical standard framework accessible for all. Meanwhile, Green Transition plays the role of internal companion to coach and help in the local language. With Travelife, businesses can access a set of more than 200 criteria to assess their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, benchmark themselves within the industry, and get support from a coach.

Bao Nguyen, country manager of Travelife in Vietnam said, "Vietnam is moving away from chasing raw arrival numbers towards attracting high-value travellers. This focus on quality reduces the strain on Vietnam’s natural assets while ensuring long-term economic viability. In addition, businesses are increasingly adopting rigorous reporting frameworks to track carbon footprints and community impact, meeting the demands of modern travellers and investors.”

He added that sustainability is now systemic across the sector, with more tour operators moving beyond surface-level changes to implement closed-loop waste systems, local sourcing, and climate-resilience planning.

“One of the most obvious examples in Vietnam is the ‘local sourcing’ which brings not only the local social and environmental aspect but also the cultural aspect of it. The ‘farm to table’ logistics has an impact on local economic growth, ethnics and local community integration while reducing carbon footprint to keep within the 20km logistics distance,” he said.

Other examples in terms of circularity include the conversion of organic food waste into compost for gardening. At a larger scale, resorts can adopt nature-based water management infrastructure solutions to collect stormwater or reduce biodiversity loss impacts.

Daniel Patrao, multi-property general manager of Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River said, “Sustainability investment can take many forms, from integrating environmentally friendly solutions during construction to continuously improving operations in existing hotels.”

At Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River, sustainability was considered from the development stage, with investment in lower embodied carbon materials, as well as systems designed to save energy and water. This approach helped the hotel achieve EDGE Certification. The certification confirms 34 per cent energy savings, 33 per cent water savings, and 24 per cent less embodied carbon in materials, helping reduce 328.82 tonnes of CO_² in operational emissions each year.

Beyond certification, the hotel continues to strengthen its environmental commitment through daily operations. The hotel has now fully installed water purification systems across all guestrooms and public areas, providing guests with convenient access to safe, high-quality drinking water while eliminating the need for bottled water.

“The initiative reflects a significant step towards reducing plastic and glass waste, reinforcing the hotel’s long-term goals,” Patrao said. “International certifications help increase recognition and build trust among travellers who increasingly choose responsible tourism options. More importantly, this reflects a growing trend in Vietnam, where investors are becoming more focused on sustainability as part of long-term tourism development.”

According to a report by Travel and Tour World in mid-April, Vietnam has joined the ranks of countries like New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, Denmark, and Costa Rica, which have made sustainability a core part of their tourism strategies.

The report highlighted that Vietnam is enhancing its tourism industry through sustainable development, with initiatives ranging from eco-friendly policies to community-driven tourism. The Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an example of Vietnam's commitment to preserve its unique ecosystems. In destinations like Sapa and Phong Nha, community-based tourism is on the rise, where locals benefit directly from tourism, providing authentic cultural experiences for visitors.

The government is making a strategic push for high-value, low-impact tourism in Vietnam. Tourism System Master Plan for 2021–2030 is targeting fully plastic-free tourist zones, electric vehicle zones, and protected biodiversity parks.

In addition, the conscious market is also reshaping travel behaviour and demand. Findings from Agoda’s 2026 Sustainable Travel Survey in mid-March revealed that more than 80 per cent of Vietnamese travellers consider the topic important when making travel decisions, with 43 per cent expect it to become more important over the next three years.

Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River achieves 5-star certification Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River has achieved 5-star hotel certification, affirming its leading position in hospitality and meetings in Danang just over two months after opening its doors.

Vietnamese tourists embracing sustainable tourism Sustainable travel is gaining traction as 96 per cent of Vietnamese travellers confirm that sustainable travel is important to them, according to the Sustainable Travel Report 2024 by Booking.com.

Sustainable tourism fit for the future Travel agencies, localities, and other entities are placing more focus on schemes to ensure tourism goes green.