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New CIMA President: The Future of Finance and Accounting Will Be Built on Trust, Innovation, and Opportunity

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Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, elected as CIMA President and Co-Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

LONDON, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, has been elected as the 93rd President of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting on 24 June 2026. He will also serve as the 11th Co-Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association), the global alliance formed by CIMA and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

During his presidential year, Alfred will focus on shaping the future of finance and accounting, elevating trust as the profession’s most valuable currency, building an AI-enabled profession, and championing opportunity for the next generation of talent. He will work alongside Association Chair Jan Lewis, CPA, CGMA, to lead the profession worldwide through a period of rapid change and redefine its role in business and society.

Dr Matthew Hansard, FCMA, CGMA, was elected CIMA Deputy President at the same meeting.

On taking up the role, Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, CIMA President and Co-Chair of the Association, said: “The choices we make today – how we earn trust, embrace technology, lead through uncertainty and complexity, and invest in the next generation – will shape the future of finance and accounting. If we get those choices right, we will not simply keep pace with change; we will define it.”

“I take on this role with humility and a strong sense of responsibility,” he continued. “I am committed to serving our members, students, and the wider profession, and working with them to create a future grounded in trust, innovation, and opportunity.”

Alfred is a business leader with over three decades of experience across South Africa’s financial and professional services sector. He began his career at Nedbank Limited in 1995, where he held senior and executive roles over a 15-year period. In 2008, Alfred was appointed Managing Executive of Nedbank Private Bank, before moving to ABSA Bank in 2010 and African Bank in 2012. In 2017, he became CEO of Bayport Financial Services – South Africa, part of a leading financial services company specialising in responsible consumer lending and financial wellness programmes in developing markets.

A long-standing CIMA volunteer, Alfred joined the CIMA Gauteng Branch as Secretary in 1998 and was appointed President of the South Africa Area Committee in 1999. He played a key role in establishing the Southern Africa Regional Board in 2000 and served as its inaugural Chairman from 2002 to 2009.

In 2009, Alfred was co-opted onto CIMA Council and served on the Global Markets, Marketing, and Professional Standards Committees until he stepped down in 2011. In recognition of his leadership and contributions to the Institute, Alfred was awarded the CIMA Silver Medal in 2013.

He rejoined CIMA Council in 2023 and joined the Board of Directors of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. For the past year, Alfred served as CIMA Deputy President and is currently a member of CIMA’s Appointments Committee and the CGMA Exam Board.

Alfred lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with his wife, and has three adult children. He enjoys reading, cycling, and running.

 

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SOURCE CIMA

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Melody Party Offers Over 20,000 Songs and Adds More Than a Thousand New Tracks Monthly, Enhancing Its Online Karaoke Experience

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SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Melody Party is a music social app featuring a variety of activities, including Mic Grab, Artist Mafia, and Singing Battle. Through its online karaoke feature, SING A SONG, the app brings the traditional karaoke experience online, removing time and location constraints and offering a music experience that combines real-time singing with social interaction.

SING A SONG features an extensive library of more than 20,000 songs, with over a thousand new songs added every month. Its diverse selection includes popular K-pop tracks, classic Korean songs, and karaoke favorites. The feature offers a free-use model, allowing users to start singing their chosen songs without paying a separate fee. This helps reduce the time and cost associated with visiting traditional coin-operated karaoke venues, making it easier to enjoy singing as part of everyday life.

In terms of functionality, SING A SONG supports pitch adjustment and independent volume controls for vocals and accompaniment, allowing users to customize their singing experience according to their preferences. Users can also create online karaoke rooms, invite friends to sing together in real time, and enjoy voice chat and social interaction.

By continuously expanding its song library and offering diverse music-based interactive experiences, Melody Party continues to strengthen its music ecosystem. Through SING A SONG, the platform aims to create an accessible, highly interactive online music social space.

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SOURCE Melody Party

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Drawing new strength from 20-year legacy, IAACA calls on global counterparts to join annual conference to fortify integrity

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MARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), an independent and non-political anti-corruption organisation with over 190 member anti-corruption authorities (ACAs) worldwide, will co-host IAACA Annual Conference 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco next month together with the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong, China (ICAC) and the National Authority for Probity, Prevention and Fight Against Corruption of Morocco (INPPLC) to chart a path for the global graft fight and explore cutting-edge approaches to tackle emerging corruption challenges.

Themed “Building on 20 Years of Legacy: Drawing Strength from the Past, Guarding Global Integrity for the Future”, the international event will not only mark the 20th anniversary of the IAACA, but also provide a dynamic forum for IAACA members to exchange insights and enhance co-operation.

Calling on international counterparts to participate in the conference scheduled for November 25, IAACA President Mr Woo Ying-ming, who also serves as ICAC Commissioner, said that “As the IAACA marks its 20th anniversary, the conference will bring together global anti-corruption community at a pivotal moment for collective action. I anticipate that the valuable insights and new approaches generated through the international synergy will chart a resilient strategic path for us to navigate integrity risks and draw strength from our shared legacy to guard global integrity for generations to come.”

During the conference, renowned international experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Basel Institute on Governance, the International Anti-Corruption Academy, and global anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies and institutions will shed light on harnessing artificial intelligence in the fight against corruption, safeguarding integrity within global climate and biodiversity frameworks and analysing global corruption measurement and systemic effectiveness.

Following the conference, the ICAC, the INPPLC, the IAACA and the UNODC will co-organise a training seminar on leveraging AI in combating corruption.

While the ICAC and INPPLC will share how AI and new technology can reshape the future of anti-graft enforcement and corruption prevention, the UNODC will provide a global perspective on using AI models in financial crime investigations and addressing the operational relevance, legal robustness and adaptability across jurisdictions.

For details of the conference and training, please visit:
https://www.icac.org.hk/icac/iaaca-morocco-2026/index.html

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SOURCE International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA)

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Viettel moves 100 million subscribers to home-grown cloud-native charging in three months – with zero downtime

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HANOI, Vietnam, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation (Viettel High Tech), part of Viettel Group, has migrated more than 100 million subscribers and some 5,000 tariff plans at Viettel, Vietnam’s largest mobile operator, to vOCS 4.0, its in-house cloud-native charging system. The three-month cutover ran on a live national network with no service disruption.

Replacing a charging system is one of the riskiest projects an operator can undertake, which is why many stick with legacy platforms. Viettel High Tech reduced the risk through real-time data synchronization, parallel running and a phased cutover, with instant rollback at every stage.

The project won the Telecom Review Excellence Awards 2026 prize for Best Technology Deployment in Asia, a first for a Vietnamese company.

What it means for operators:

Scale: more than 300,000 transactions per second at latency below 5 milliseconds, across 2G–5G and fixed services on one platformLower cost: up to 50% less hardware investment than the previous generation, by sharing infrastructure with the networkAgility: new tariff plans in hours instead of days, new features three times faster and deployments about 30% fasterResilience: two active data centers about 2,000 km apart and automatic recovery in under two minutes

Viettel High Tech developed every core layer in-house, from a telecom-grade cloud-native platform and NFV-MANO orchestration to real-time charging, subscriber and balance management.

“Passing rigorous tests of real-time self-diagnosis and self-recovery is what allows an operator to keep its promise of 24/7 service to customers,” said Luu Manh Ha, CEO of Viettel Networks, which operates the system on Viettel’s network in Vietnam. “Above all, owning the charging system means an operator is not dependent on foreign vendors – it safeguards digital sovereignty and preserves business flexibility.”

“The charging system is where an operator’s business strategy turns into revenue in real time,” said Nguyen Minh Quang, CEO of Viettel High Tech. “We believe vOCS 4.0 is ready to help operators worldwide capture the value of 5G and digital services.”

In 2017, vOCS 4.0’s predecessor, vOCS 3.0, replaced a foreign vendor’s platform for 90 million Viettel subscribers. Across both generations, vOCS serves more than 220 million subscribers in 11 countries. Viettel High Tech now offers vOCS 4.0 to operators worldwide.

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SOURCE Viettel Group

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