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ICAC Commissioner attends first IAACA European regional anti-corruption conference in Hungary

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BUDAPEST, Hungary, July 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ICAC Commissioner, Mr Woo Ying-ming, in his capacity of President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), successfully concluded the first European regional anti-corruption conference in Hungary. The conference, which marked the largest and most extensive European anti-corruption exchange initiative of the ICAC and the IAACA, had united over 180 international experts from more than 70 anti-corruption, law enforcement and regulatory bodies across Europe and other regions of the world to work beyond geographical boundaries for enhancing multilateral collaboration and advancing integrity governance in Europe and worldwide.

Delivering the opening address in Budapest, Mr Woo said, “To tackle the increasingly complex corruption crimes, we must unite anti-corruption forces from all fronts to overcome challenges such as geopolitical tensions and address future corruption risks through professional collaboration. Following the recent adoption of European Union (EU)’s latest anti-corruption directive, all Member States are required to establish dedicated anti-corruption agencies with aligned penalties. This regional conference comes at an opportune time for the IAACA and the ICAC to enhance collaboration among anti-corruption agencies and share the ICAC’s valuable experience of over 50 years, so as to strengthen a more robust global anti-corruption network.”

Strategic “regional clusters” approach for enhancing training and exchange

The conference, showcasing the new “regional clusters” strategic approach of the IAACA, provided an efficient training and exchange platform for various anti-corruption agencies on the European continent with Hungary serving as a focal point. “The conference brings together representatives from law enforcement agencies, anti-corruption research and academic institutions from Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and others, as well as think tanks across Europe, the European Anti-Fraud Office, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) of Austria. Many participants are heads of the organisations, underscoring the importance attached to this conference by our European counterparts. This conference not only significantly expands our outreach and enhanced resource efficiency, but also enables the ICAC to gain deeper insights into the anti-corruption strategies and challenges faced by different jurisdictions. This valuable experience allows us to refine our training model to better meet the needs of different anti-corruption agencies,” Mr Woo added.

In the conference jointly organised by the IAACA, the ICAC, the Integrity Authority of Hungary, the National Anti-Corruption Authority Council of Italy, and the Hellenic National Transparency Authority, ICAC representatives shared innovative strategies in anti-graft education and effective measurement of anti-corruption performance. Apart from highlighting the strengths of the Mainland and Hong Kong in upholding integrity, the rule of law and prosperity, they also invited participants to visit the Mainland and Hong Kong to gain first-hand experience.

Broadening international collaboration and enhancing anti-corruption capabilities

The Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption (HKIAAC) of the ICAC also seized the opportunity to host a post-conference training seminar for participants, sharing experience on effective measurement of anti-corruption performance. During his stay in Budapest, Mr Woo also chaired the IAACA Executive Committee meeting to chart the path of the IAACA upon its 20th anniversary.

Following a bilateral meeting between Mr Woo and President of the Integrity Authority of Hungary, Mr Ferenc Pál Biró, the ICAC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IACA. Under the MoU framework, the two agencies agreed to enhance exchange of anti-corruption experience and training programmes etc. Including the present ones, the ICAC has entered into 10 MoUs with overseas anti-corruption agencies or international organisations to foster international anti-corruption collaboration.

Strategic partnership with government departments to tell good stories of Hong Kong

In recent years, the ICAC has actively joined hands with various government departments and law enforcement agencies of Hong Kong to promote abroad Hong Kong’s collaborative anti-corruption strategy. Following earlier joint missions to Kazakhstan, Thailand and Cambodia with the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department and the Hong Kong Police Force, the ICAC partnered with the Department of Justice (DoJ) to shed light on Hong Kong’s successful experience in anti-corruption law enforcement and prosecution earlier this month in Viet Nam. During the visit to Budapest, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions of the DoJ, Ms Laura Ng Shuk-kuen, joined the ICAC delegation to expound on Hong Kong’s experience and achievements in fugitive apprehension and illicit asset recovery in corruption cases in the training seminar.

Exchange views with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Hungary

During the visit, the ICAC delegation also called on the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Hungary, Mr Gong Tao, to learn about local social developments. The delegation also shared ICAC’s anti-corruption initiatives on international cooperation.

Accompanying Mr Woo on his visit included Assistant Directors of Operations Department Mr Cheung Chin-kit and Mr Paul Lau Chi-ho, Principal Investigator Mr Eric Chan Cheuk-hay and Principal International Cooperation Officer Mr Daniel Leung Chun-yu.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/icac-commissioner-attends-first-iaaca-european-regional-anti-corruption-conference-in-hungary-302816525.html

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Fastest Growing Global Finance Super App Abound chooses Monad to Power its Next Phase of Growth

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Riding record growth after crossing $500 Million in remittances, the super-app built for global Indians announces its next chapter – including a brand-new wallet product, with the waitlist opening soon

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Abound, the super-app for Indians in the US backed by Times Internet (Times of India Group), grew past $500 Million in remittance volumes served in the last year, with US and India markets accounting for the bulk of volumes. Abound is excited to announce the next phase of products being built to serve the global Indian diaspora better. The next chapter will be built on Monad, the next-generation Layer 1 blockchain enabling open access to fair financial markets. With Monad’s technology, it is the best option for Abound’s use cases.

What began as a smarter way to send money home has evolved into a comprehensive super app for NRI life spanning cross-border payments, savings, and everyday benefits designed around the needs of Indians living in the US. Abound has become one of the platforms Indians in the US trust to move and manage money across two countries, with over $500 million in volume served. Abound now plans to serve Indians across the world and expand support with newer products better suited to their changing needs.

A New Roadmap for the global Indian

Building on this momentum, Abound today unveiled the next chapter of its product vision:

A new wallet product: a single home for Indians overseas to hold, move, and manage money across both countries’ multi-currency balances, and instant transfers between US and India accounts, with support for more countries coming soon. Waitlist opens soon; the product launches in Q3 2026.New ways to earn and save: interest-bearing savings and investment accounts, giving NRIs more ways to put their money to work.AI agent-led workflows, including the agentic payment protocol x402 to power the next chapter of Abound’s upcoming product suite. Monad Foundation is a premier member of the x402 Foundation.

“Abound has become the platform Indians in the US trust to move money home; we have moved $500 million since launch” said Nishkaam Mehta, CEO, Abound. “This roadmap is about building agents to seamlessly manage the NRIs entire financial life, with the trust of our community at the center of everything we do.”

“Abound is embarking on an ambitious journey to build a full set of agentic financial services and cross border platform for NRIs along its distribution via Times of India. We’re excited to see Abound leverage Monad’s technology to help accelerate at their efforts into the next chapter,” said Raj Parekh, Head of Payments & Stablecoins.

Powered by Next-Generation Technology

Abound’s upcoming product suite will be built on Monad. Monad is a high-performance, institutional-grade Layer 1 blockchain enabling open access to rewards, AI agents, and fair financial markets on neutral ground. The integration gives Abound the technology foundation to serve the Indian diaspora at scale – with the performance and reliability a community of global earners expects. Monad’s technology underpins Abound’s expanded capabilities as the platform scales into its next chapter.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fastest-growing-global-finance-super-app-abound-chooses-monad-to-power-its-next-phase-of-growth-302859236.html

SOURCE Abound

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Xinhua Silk Road: Seven marine test “labs” put in place in offshore waters near Yuanyao port in Weihai, E China

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BEIJING, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In waters north of Yuanyao fishery port in east China’s Weihai City, a recent round of drone marine testings by a local marine equipment institute pooled firsthand data for references to its product R&D.

Such testings that move corporate “laboratories” into the sea are increasingly favored by businesses in Weihai as seven marine testing platforms have been completed in the port area, also the Yuanyao shallow sea sci-tech bay area.

In details, the seven platforms include an offshore self-elevating wharf, a semi-submersible platform, a testing wharf, etc., all of which provide vital support to the technological R&D of related businesses.

Currently, 44 companies have been attracted to settle in the sci-tech bay area, which serves as a key carrier for emerging marine-related industries such as marine electronic information, marine intelligent equipment, and modern maritime services to thrive there.

Near the Yuanyao fishery port now stands the semi-submersible marine test platform, which is the first one of the type in Shandong Province where Weihai sits and also a core part of the national marine comprehensive test site project in Weihai.

As a staff of the sci-tech bay area’s service center introduced, the 44-meter-long and 32.4-meter-wide platform can operate at a maximum water depth of 70 meters and is equipped with multiple supporting systems.

For instance, the power system, test facilities, marine environment observing and monitoring system, and security system of the platform are capable of catering to diverse needs of scientific researchers including short-term on-site operations, instrument lifting and retrieval, and real-time transmission of offshore data.

Apart from these marine testing platforms, the sci-tech bay area is also crafting another seven scientific research platforms to offer all-around intellectual support for the national marine comprehensive test site in Weihai.

While marine testings are ongoing on the testing platforms, onshore zones in the sci-tech bay area are busy with building more innovative infrastructure including the marine data management and application center.

In Weihai, the integrated deployment of offshore, onshore and on-island marine-related platforms is unlocking strong potential for local industries to burgeon.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/351893.html

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/xinhua-silk-road-seven-marine-test-labs-put-in-place-in-offshore-waters-near-yuanyao-port-in-weihai-e-china-302859240.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road

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Antare launches AI physical security platform, transforming unwatched camera footage into intelligence

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Antare uses AI to automatically review footage from body-worn and fixed cameras to give organisations a complete picture across every shift and site

LONDON, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Antare, a new agentic security platform for body-worn and fixed cameras, has launched. UK-based Antare uses artificial intelligence to automatically review security footage, detect incidents, alert teams and document every event, transforming everyday operations into actionable insight that helps improve performance and reduce operational risk. The platform is compatible with both Antare’s intelligent body-worn cameras and customers’ own existing fixed camera infrastructure.

Antare’s body-worn cameras capture the moments before, during and after every incident, preserving the context that helps organisations understand what really happened, protect their employees, and manage their liabilities. This matters because abuse and violence towards frontline staff is rising and incidents often do not have a defined beginning. Employees no longer have to remember to start a recording in the middle of a confrontation.

The Antare Console reviews all video and audio as it is recorded, and transcribes, indexes and scores each event automatically. Separate AI agents watch for specific signals, including physical and verbal assaults, suspicious behaviour, safety risks, medical events or weapons, and send in-the-moment alerts and live video to colleagues via the Antare App.

Antare also surfaces patterns that manual review is prone to miss, like repeat offenders, theft hotspots and recurring problems across sites. Free text search allows users to investigate further, while daily email summaries ensure key events are never missed.

Available today

Antare offers two models of body-worn cameras that work out of the box for US, UK, and EU customers. The Antare Body-worn Camera Pro is designed for frontline staff in demanding environments where extended battery life, GPS capabilities and rugged durability are important.

The Antare Body-worn Camera Compact is a lightweight alternative, intended for customer-facing teams who need discreet protection during their shifts. The Antare Dock charges four cameras at once between shifts.

Both models, including cellular connectivity and unlimited users for the Antare Console, are available through a simple, all-inclusive monthly subscription, with no minimum order quantity and no fixed term.

One platform, every camera

The Antare Cloud Gateway, coming soon, integrates the full range of Antare’s cloud capabilities with customers’ existing fixed cameras, so body-worn and fixed cameras live in a single console, with no separate systems to manage.

Customers can also choose from a range of pre-configured alarms, as well as configure their own alarms via free text description.

Antare’s own fixed camera range is set to follow in early 2027, supplied and installed by accredited partners. Partners can register interest now at www.antare.ai/partners.

Privacy and data protection

Footage is encrypted on Antare devices and in transit, then erased from the device once it reaches the secure cloud, where access is role-based. Data is stored in your local region – UK, EU or US – and deleted automatically after 30 days unless an authorized user marks it for retention. Antare is SOC 2 Type I certified and GDPR compliant, with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications in progress.

Mark Michaelides, CEO of Antare:

“Antare was founded on the belief that today’s physical security platforms are failing to deal effectively with emerging safety and operational risks, leaving businesses with expensive legacy investments that do not fulfil their evolving needs.

“Traditional security solutions have focused on after-the-fact review, while more modern systems have enabled live alerts. Antare has built a different type of intelligence platform to deliver both, while shortening time from alert to triage and enabling quicker post-incident investigation.

“Following strong results in trials across private security, hospitality and retail customers, Antare is available on subscription for body-worn cameras from today, with the Antare Cloud Gateway coming soon. One console that turns disparate data into action, intelligence, and insights.”

For more information, visit www.antare.ai.

Accompanying photography:

Picture 1 – Antare CEO Mark Michaelides. Credit: Antare 
Picture 2 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 3 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 4 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 5 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 6 – Credit: Antare 
Picture 7 – Credit: Antare

About Antare

Antare is the physical security intelligence platform that turns every captured event into organisational insight. It continuously detects, reviews and interprets everything that happens across every site and operation – so nothing is missed, and every incident is clearly understood.

Starting with body-worn and fixed cameras, and expanding across every capture point, Antare gives organisations the confidence to report accurately, respond effectively, and build a complete picture of risk and performance over time. Antare is headquartered in the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.antare.ai.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/antare-launches-ai-physical-security-platform-transforming-unwatched-camera-footage-into-intelligence-302859242.html

SOURCE Antare

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