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The Week in Canadian Press Releases: 10 Stories You Need to See

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A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from Cision Distribution this week

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2024 /CNW/ – With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Cision. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week’s most newsworthy and popular releases, here’s a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn’t be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

Apollo Group TV Unveils New Pricing Model for 8K Premium IPTV in Response to Market Demand 
In response to the increasing demand for high-quality, affordable streaming services, Apollo Group TV, a leading provider in the IPTV industry, has launched a new pricing model that significantly reduces the cost of its 8K premium IPTV service. This strategic move makes cutting-edge streaming technology more accessible to viewers globally, without compromising on the quality that has earned Apollo Group TV its reputation as an industry leader. As consumers continue to seek alternatives to traditional cable and satellite TV, IPTV has emerged as a cost-effective solution. *FREE A&W Kids’ Pack: This Halloween, trick-or-treat at A&W, and any little monster 12 and under can get a Kids’ Pack–absolutely free! 
This special offer treats every child to a tasty kid-approved meal. Let them get their hands on a Chicken Buddy Burger®, Chicken Strips, Buddy Burger® or Buddy Burger® with Cheese, paired with fresh apple slices, a MadeGood™ granola bar and 2% milk for a satisfying meal to fuel their spooky adventures. “We love that A&W has been a gathering place for families across Canada since 1956,” says Susan Senecal, CEO of A&W Food Services of Canada. “This Halloween, we’re thrilled to be a part of the spooky spirit by welcoming Canadian families for a little treat. From our burger family to yours, we are excited to host you this Halloween at A&W locations coast to coast.”Skip Is Helping Canadians Skip to the good part Of Their Day – And is Giving Away Thousands of Meals to Celebrate! 
Skip, Canada’s homegrown delivery network, is thrilled to introduce its new brand positioning, ‘Skip to the good part’—a refreshed commitment to helping Canadians conveniently skip out on life’s everyday hassles, giving them more time back to do what they love. Whether it’s kitchen fails or awkward grocery store run-ins, Skip has dropped ‘TheDishes’ as a promise to deliver more of what Canadians want including restaurants, grocery, convenience and retail offerings, right to your door with just a few taps. Through a refreshed logo paying homage to Skip’s Canadian roots, now featuring the iconic maple leaf, Canadians can experience the updated look and feel on the Skip app and website.Katahdin Joins SGS, Expanding North American Environmental Services 
SGS North America (SGS) is pleased to welcome Katahdin Analytical Services (Katahdin) to its network of environmental laboratories. This strategic expansion enhances SGS’s ability to assist government agencies and industries in assessing environmental risks and impacts while ensuring regulatory compliance. “Bringing Katahdin into our fold reinforces our commitment to leading the industry in both emerging contaminants and conventional environmental analysis in North America,” said Marcus Maguire, Head of Environment, Health and Safety at SGS North America.Health Canada Approves First and Only Oral Targeted Treatment for Brain Cancer 
Servier Canada is pleased to announce the approval and commercial availability of VORANIGO™ (vorasidenib tablets), the first targeted therapy for the treatment of Grade 2 isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant glioma in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older, following surgery. VORANIGO™ offers glioma patients the convenience of a once-daily oral treatment, providing them with an opportunity to actively manage their disease. Canada is the second country after the United States to receive regulatory authorization for VORANIGO™.RBC Royal Bank announces change to prime rate 
RBC Royal Bank is decreasing its prime rate by 50 basis points from 6.45 per cent to 5.95 per cent, effective October 24, 2024. Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 100,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 18 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Shake Shack Expands Toronto Presence with New Locations Set to Open at Union Station and Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Following the successful debut of its first Canadian location at Yonge & Dundas earlier this year, Shake Shack is excited to announce two upcoming locations in Toronto set to open their doors this winter. “Toronto has been incredibly welcoming, and we’re excited to further our presence in the city with these two fantastic locations,” said Billy Richmond, Business Director of Shake Shack Canada. “Both Union Station and Yorkdale Shopping Centre offer unique opportunities to engage with our guests in new ways, and we look forward to becoming a part of these lively hubs.”CIBC lowers prime lending rate
CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) today announced that it is lowering its Canadian prime lending rate by 50 basis points from 6.45 per cent to 5.95 per cent, effective Thursday, October 24, 2024. CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 14 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Across Personal and Business Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets, CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading digital banking network, and locations across Canada, in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/ca/media-centre.Best Buy Canada predicts product trends and announces dates for hotly anticipated Black Friday sales 
With Millennial and Gen Z buying habits leading the way, Best Buy Canada shares the hottest trends expected this holiday season. Best Buy Canada experts anticipate buying behaviour to reflect the Gen Z preference to give physical items as opposed to gift cards.*1 With new sales every week throughout November and a plentiful selection of products across all categories, Best Buy Canada is encouraging Canadians to shop early to get in on the trends this holiday season. If you’re in need of a little gifting inspiration, our Holiday Gift Guide launches November 1 on BestBuy.ca to help customers browse the many incredible deals to be had this holiday season.GardaWorld Enters into Binding Agreement to Acquire Stealth Monitoring, Creating a Champion in AI-Enabled Mobile and Fixed Video Monitoring Security Solutions 
Garda World Security Corporation (“GardaWorld” or “the Company”), an entrepreneurial-driven corporation focused on building global champions in security services, AI-enabled security technology, integrated risk management and cash automation solutions, announced today that it has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (“Binding Agreement”) to acquire the business of Stealth Monitoring, a North American leader in cutting-edge commercial mobile and fixed video monitoring security solutions. Building on the foundation of the Company’s successful ECAMSECURE platform, the acquisition of Stealth Monitoring will establish a global leader in AI-powered remote video monitoring solutions.

Read more of the latest releases from Cision, see our resources for journalists, and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @cnwnews.

About Cision Canada

Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud® and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter.

SOURCE Cision Canada

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Strengthening the Foundation for Mass Production: Lead Intelligent’s Warm Isostatic Pressing Machine Accelerates Solid-State Battery Industrialization

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WUXI, China, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Solid-state batteries are at a critical stage of transition from pilot production to large-scale manufacturing. To address key challenges in densification and solid-solid interface contact, Lead Intelligent has developed a horizontal warm isostatic pressing machine that delivers uniform three-dimensional pressure of up to 600 MPa across a wide temperature range from room temperature (RT) to 150°C. The machine achieves temperature control accuracy of ±2°C and pressure control accuracy of ±2%. Integrating automatic loading and unloading with precise, coordinated temperature and pressure control, the machine can increase cell density to over 95%, accelerating the industrialization of solid-state batteries.

As solid-state batteries move toward mass production, two major challenges remain: high impedance caused by insufficient solid-solid interface contact, and the limitations of conventional unidirectional pressing, including uneven density and pronounced edge effects. Based on Pascal’s principle, isostatic pressing applies isotropic pressurization within a sealed chamber to achieve multidimensional material compaction and densification. It is a key processing route for addressing solid-solid interface contact challenges in solid-state batteries.

For the practical requirements of large-scale solid-state battery manufacturing, warm isostatic pressing offers an effective balance between densification performance, production efficiency, and manufacturing cost, making it a highly cost-effective option for mass production. As construction of solid-state battery capacity accelerates, warm isostatic pressing machines are becoming core incremental machines for battery manufacturers’ next-generation solid-state production lines.

Core Technology: Precise Temperature-Pressure Coordination for High-Precision Process Control

Building on its R&D system, Lead Intelligent’s horizontal warm isostatic pressing machine overcomes the “black box” limitations of traditional warm isostatic pressing process by enabling real-time monitoring of temperature and pressure inside the chamber. The machine upgrades from conventional unidirectional pressing to precise temperature-pressure coordination to promote closer contact between electrodes and electrolytes, making it well suited for solid-state battery mass production.

Pressure system: It delivers uniform three-dimensional pressure of up to 600 MPa, with pressure control accuracy ≤±2%. Automatic pressure compensation and emergency depressurization functions keep pressure fluctuations within ±2% during a 30-minute pressure holding period, ensuring process stability and repeatability.

Temperature system: The working temperatures can reach up to 150°C, and can be adjusted within a wide operating range from room temperature (RT) to 150°C, with temperature control accuracy of ±2°C. The initial heating time to 150°C takes no more than three hours, balancing process adaptability with mass production cycle-time requirements.

Chamber specifications: The working chamber inner diameter is ≥400 mm, the effective length is ≥4,000 mm, and the volume is around 500 L. It accommodates batch processing of workpieces in various sizes and meets the capacity requirements of GWh-scale production lines.

Designed for Mass Production: Comprehensive Optimization for Large-Scale Manufacturing

For GWh-scale manufacturing, warm isostatic pressing machines must do more than meet core process specifications. They shall also coordinate with whole line cycle time, logistics systems, and upstream and downstream processes. To meet these requirements, Lead Intelligent has optimized machine structure, automatic operation, and safety systems in parallel.

Horizontal Design for Continuous Production Lines

The horizontal working chamber and automatic loading and unloading design significantly reduce factory height requirements while seamlessly integrating with automatic logistics systems to meet the needs of continuous production and material transfer between upstream and downstream processes, adapting to takt-based operation on large-scale production lines. Electrodes and solid electrolytes can be stacked and assembled before being loaded into the chamber for pressing and densification, simplifying process flow.

Full-process Automation to Minimize Manual Intervention

The machine enables unmanned operation throughout cell pretreatment and material box circulation. It integrates four key functions: cell hot air preheating, cold air drying and cooling, automatic fixture loading and unloading, and material box automatic circulation. The machine covers the entire workflow including loading, pretreatment, isostatic pressing and unloading, minimizing manual intervention and improving production efficiency and process consistency within each batch.

Multi-Layered Safety Controls for Reliable Operation

The machine incorporates a comprehensive multi-layered safety assurance system. At the foundational level, the machine is equipped with dual pressure and temperature monitoring for the chamber, together with pipeline pressure-relief ports to safeguard machine operation. In addition, an innovative triple deformation monitoring system provides real-time monitoring to enhance operational safety and maintain process precision.

As a world-leading provider of intelligent manufacturing solutions for the new energy industry, Lead Intelligent has completed the full-process layout for solid-state battery manufacturing, covering key stages including dry electrode processing, high-precision stacking, warm isostatic pressing, and formation and grading. The company has the capacity for batch delivery of GWh-level solid-state battery whole line solutions.

Looking ahead, Lead Intelligent will continue to strengthen its intelligent manufacturing equipment capabilities, accelerating the industrialization of solid-state batteries and other advanced battery technologies and contributing LEAD power to the global new energy industry.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/strengthening-the-foundation-for-mass-production-lead-intelligents-warm-isostatic-pressing-machine-accelerates-solid-state-battery-industrialization-302921699.html

SOURCE LEAD Intelligent

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Ascendion Expands AI Advisory Community with Four Global Business and Technology Leaders

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Former Global CTO of Banco Santander, former Group CIO of Currys, former CEO of IBPAP, and former Microsoft CVP and CTO of AI join the advisory community

Advisors will provide guidance on AAVA platform innovation, AI strategy, C-suite alignment, and enterprise adoption across Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and the UK

The growing community of advisors will bring practitioner perspective closer to Ascendion as enterprises move AI from experimentation to governed, production-scale outcomes

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ascendion, an AI-native software engineering company, today announced the appointment of four global business and technology leaders to its AI Advisory Community: Andy Gamble, Jack Madrid, Julieta Ross, Ph.D., and Joseph Sirosh, Ph.D. 

The advisors bring perspectives rarely found in one group: executives who answered to Boards, regulators, and C-suites for what technology actually delivered; a builder of AI and data platforms at global scale; and a leader who shaped one of the world’s largest technology-services and talent ecosystems. Their experience spans banking, high-tech, media, and retail. Each will work directly with Ascendion’s regional and engineering leaders, so their counsel reaches the decisions it is meant to shape. 

“We are changing how software gets built. Enterprise leaders have moved past experiments. They want AI that delivers outcomes boards can measure and risk they can manage. Andy, Jack, Julieta, and Joseph have the experience and know where transformation succeeds. They will challenge our thinking, raise our ambition, and help us navigate a period of intense — and exciting — change,” said Karthik Krishnamurthy, CEO, Ascendion.  

Each advisor will map to a different part of the business, strengthening Ascendion’s alignment with leadership communities across the globe. 

Julieta Ross, Ph.D., former Global CTO of Banco Santander, brings two decades of leading technology inside global banks, along with public-company board experience. She will work with Ascendion’s leadership on executive relationships, go-to-market strategy, and growth, and will help the company meet the governance, regulatory, and risk expectations that banking and financial services leaders place on AI. 

Andy Gamble, former Group CIO of Currys plc, has spent nearly three decades as a technology buyer and transformation leader across consumer electronics, industrial, and retail businesses. He will advise Ascendion’s work across Europe and the UK, with a focus on consumer goods, manufacturing, and retail, and will share what executive teams and Boards expect from a technology partner. 

Joseph Sirosh, Ph.D., former Microsoft CVP and CTO of AI, has spent his career building and scaling machine learning platforms in the high-tech industry. He will advise Ascendion’s engineering leadership on the evolution of AAVA and its broader platform strategy as AAVA becomes an orchestration and harness layer for enterprise AI. 

Jack Madrid, former President and CEO of IBPAP, spent five years leading the industry association behind one of the world’s largest technology and business-services ecosystems, centered in the Philippines. He brings robust experience working across industries, including banking, high-tech, and media, and will advise Ascendion on Asia-Pacific markets and on how AI is reshaping global delivery, skills, and workforce models. 

Together, the advisors give Ascendion an outside perspective on the full spectrum of enterprise AI, from agentic platform strategy and product engineering to industry alignment and delivery. They will add capacity to Ascendion’s ongoing work on AI governance, helping ensure trusted impact from AI-native software engineering, and their practice-based insight will inform how Ascendion applies its Engineering to the Power of AI™ approach to commercial models, platform design, service execution, and workforce development. 

About Ascendion

Ascendion is a global AI-native software engineering company delivering trusted business outcomes – capital unlock, innovation velocity, lower risk – to 250+ enterprise clients. The company delivers business outcomes at scale by combining expert engineers, AI agents, and AAVA, Ascendion’s agentic AI platform. Together, they design, engineer, and operate production-ready software that improves everyday work and life. Learn more at www.ascendion.com.

Engineering to the Power of AI™, Engineering to Elevate Life™, and AAVA™ are trademarks or service marks of Ascendion. AAVA™ is pending registration. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ascendion-expands-ai-advisory-community-with-four-global-business-and-technology-leaders-302921702.html

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Canara HSBC Life Insurance Earns ‘Leader’ ESG Rating from NSE Sustainability Ratings & Analytics

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Achieves ESG score of 71, with strong performance across environmental stewardship, governance and stakeholder well-being

NEW DELHI, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited (“Canara HSBC Life Insurance”) has been recognised in the ‘Leader’ Rating Category in the FY2026 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) assessment conducted by NSE Sustainability Ratings & Analytics Limited. The Company achieved an overall ESG score of 71, including an Environment score of 79, Governance score of 75 and Social score of 63, reflecting its continued focus on sustainable business practices, stakeholder welfare and strong corporate governance.

The assessment highlighted the Company’s environmental performance, including greenhouse gas emissions from direct operations and energy consumption that are below industry averages, significantly lower energy and waste intensity compared to peers, and strong waste recycling and recovery practices.

On the social front, the assessment recognised the Company’s focus on employee well-being and workplace safety, including a lost-time incident rate of zero, no employee fatalities during the year, and 100% employee coverage under health and safety training. The assessment also noted a balanced workforce, with women accounting for 36.69% of employees, and customer complaint frequency below relevant benchmarks.

The governance assessment recognised Canara HSBC Life Insurance’s robust oversight framework, including Board independence levels exceeding regulatory requirements, strong independent representation across key Board committees, and comprehensive anti-corruption and sustainability governance policies.

Anuj Mathur, MD & CEO, Canara HSBC Life Insurance, said, “Being recognised in the ‘Leader’ category is a strong affirmation of our belief that sustainable growth and responsible business practices go hand in hand. At Canara HSBC Life Insurance, ESG is not a standalone agenda but an integral part of how we create long-term value, manage risk, strengthen stakeholder trust and build organisational resilience. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to embedding these principles across our business and delivering meaningful outcomes for our customers, employees, shareholders and communities.”

The FY2026 ESG assessment was conducted by NSE Sustainability Ratings & Analytics Limited using a structured, sector-specific framework that evaluates companies across environmental, social and governance parameters. The assessment considers an organisation’s performance, policies, disclosures, governance practices and management of material ESG risks and opportunities. It is based on publicly available information, including annual reports, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reports (BRSR), stock exchange filings, company disclosures and other public sources, and benchmarks companies against relevant industry peers.

About Canara HSBC Life Insurance

Incorporated in 2007, Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited is a public listed company co-promoted by Canara Bank (36.5%) and HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited (25.5%), with the remaining shareholding held by public shareholders, including Punjab National Bank (13%). As a bancassurance-led insurance company with its corporate office at Gurugram, Haryana and 107 branch offices as of September 30, 2026, pan India, Canara HSBC Life brings together the trust and market knowledge of public and private banks.

For more than 18 years now, Canara HSBC Life Insurance has sold insurance products to customers through multiple channels and a well-diversified network of Canara Bank, HSBC Bank and its other bancassurance partners located in multiple Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities across the country. Canara HSBC Life Insurance has a vast portfolio of life insurance solutions and offers various products across individual and group spaces comprising of life, term plans, retirement solutions, credit life and employee benefit segments through partner banks and digital channels.

With an aim to provide simpler insurance and faster claim process, Canara HSBC Life Insurance intends to keep the promises of their customers alive with their ‘Promises Ka Partner’ philosophy.

For further press queries email us on prateek.sharma@canarahsbclife.in

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/canara-hsbc-life-insurance-earns-leader-esg-rating-from-nse-sustainability-ratings–analytics-302921720.html

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