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Got the Ticket? Agoda Shares 4 Ways Malaysians Are Turning Concert Cities Into Year-End Getaways

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SINGAPORE, July 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Digital travel platform Agoda has seen major music events become a growing reason for Malaysians to plan a getaway, as fans look beyond the concert night and start thinking about where to stay, what to do and how to turn the trip into a fuller experience.

Agoda accommodation searches by Malaysian travellers to four prominent Asian cities rose across the upcoming concert windows for renowned K-Pop band BTS’ Arirang tour, compared with the same periods in 2025. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia saw the largest increase in searches at around 14x, followed by Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia at around 7x, and Bangkok, Thailand at almost 4x.

The findings suggest that big music moments are giving Malaysians more reasons to plan around the show, whether that means booking a KL staycation, flying into Singapore for a quick city break, or adding extra time to explore Jakarta or Bangkok.

Major shows are no longer just nights on the calendar. For many travellers, they are becoming the starting point for a staycation, regional city break or longer year-end escape.

The group chat is planning early

Concert trips are no longer just about getting to the venue and heading home after the encore. The ticket may be the first thing fans secure, but the rest quickly becomes a group chat project: who is sharing a room, who is flying in, where to eat after the show and whether to add an extra night. For travellers, accommodation should not be an afterthought. Searching early gives them more room to compare locations, prices, room types and flexible booking options before the year-end crowd checks in.

Even KL concerts are becoming staycation material

Of the four host cities, Kuala Lumpur recorded the largest increase in accommodation searches from Malaysian travellers, at around 14x compared with the same period in 2025. The jump suggests that even a concert close to home can become a reason to book a room, skip the post-show traffic, stay out a little later and turn one big night out into a mini city break.

Singapore is the easy fly-in, sing-along, fly-home trip

Singapore saw an increase in accommodation searches from Malaysian travellers at around 7x compared with the same period in 2025, reinforcing its appeal as a quick regional concert getaway. For Malaysian travellers, it fits neatly into the fly-in, sing-along, shop, eat and fly-home format, close enough for a short escape but packed enough to feel like a proper holiday.

Jakarta and Bangkok turn the concert into a proper city trip

Jakarta and Bangkok also saw search growth, with accommodation searches from Malaysian travellers at around 7x and almost 4x respectively. Jakarta points to the appeal of a bigger regional city escape, while Bangkok reinforces its draw as an easy food, shopping and culture-led getaway, where a major music moment can sit naturally alongside markets, malls, cafés, temples and nightlife.

For travellers considering regional concert trips, Agoda recommends building the itinerary around more than the show. A concert may be the anchor, but the best trips often come from adding a food crawl, shopping day, local attraction or extra night to explore the city properly.

Agoda’s quick tips for planning a concert-cation:

Compare before the crowd checks in

When major events drive travel interest, searching early can help travellers compare accommodation options before choices narrow closer to the concert.

Do not only search beside the venue

Staying near the venue can be convenient, but other neighbourhoods may offer better value, better food, easier transport or a more interesting city-break experience.

Use filters to keep plans flexible

When coordinating tickets, flights, friends and leave dates, filters such as free cancellation, pay-at-property, breakfast included or higher review scores can help travellers narrow down stays that suit their plans.

Turn one night into a fuller trip

A concert trip can easily become a KL staycation, a Singapore shopping break, a Jakarta city escape or a Bangkok food weekend. Travellers can use Agoda to compare accommodation, flights and activities, helping them plan more of the trip in one place.

Fabian Teja, Country Director, Malaysia and Brunei at Agoda said: “What stands out from the data is how entertainment is becoming a travel trigger. For many Malaysians, the concert ticket appears to be the starting point for a bigger decision about where to stay, who to travel with and how much of the city to experience. That creates a different kind of trip, one where accommodation, flights and activities are planned around a shared moment. Whether travellers are planning a KL staycation, a Singapore city break or a regional escape to Jakarta or Bangkok, Agoda helps them compare options in one place, find great value and turn one big night out into a fuller getaway.”

With over 6 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes and over 300,000 activities, Agoda offers travelers access to a wide range of options for every travel style and budget. Travelers can find the best deals on Agoda’s mobile app or visit Agoda.com to plan their next holiday.

— ENDS —

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3M announces collaboration with GSEO to advance Expanded Beam Optical manufacturing and development

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ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 3M (NYSE: MMM) today announced a collaboration with Genius Electronic Optical Co., Ltd. (GSEO, Taiwan: 3406), an optical technology company, to advance technology development and manufacturing for 3M’s Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) solutions. In support of these efforts, 3M expects to make a strategic investment to acquire approximately 4.7% of GSEO’s common shares as part of the company’s private placement of newly issued shares, subject to customary closing conditions.

The collaboration brings together 3M’s EBO technology leadership, optical interconnect expertise, materials science, manufacturing scale and customer relationships with GSEO’s precision optics manufacturing capabilities and production scale. Together, the companies aim to support EBO commercialization and long-term capacity expansion to meet growing demand from hyperscale data centers and other advanced connectivity applications.

“3M is investing in capabilities and partnerships that can accelerate innovation for our customers,” said William Brown, 3M Chairman and CEO. “By selecting GSEO as a manufacturing partner and investing in the company, we are strengthening the path to scale next-generation optical connectivity solutions for high-performance data center infrastructure.”

GSEO’s existing precision optics manufacturing capabilities and technical development experience are expected to support manufacturing readiness for 3M’s EBO ferrules, co-packaged optics solutions and related optical interconnect applications. The collaboration is part of 3M’s broader EBO ecosystem strategy, which includes continued work with customers and partners across the optical interconnect market.

“GSEO is pleased to expand its relationship with 3M as we work together to advance optical interconnect solutions for next-generation data center infrastructure,” said Micro Kuo, GSEO CEO and President. “This collaboration brings together complementary technology and manufacturing strengths to support continued innovation and help meet the performance demands of high-growth connectivity markets.”

3M expects the strategic investment to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this release are considered “forward-looking statements” under the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and are intended to enjoy the protection of those laws. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this release and are typically identified by the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “goal,” “guidance,” “impact,” “initial,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and other words that are similar to, or have the opposite meanings of, those words. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, 3M assumes no duty to update those statements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of those statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events and trends that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of 3M’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

About 3M
3M (NYSE: MMM) is focused on transforming industries around the world by applying science and creating innovative, customer-focused solutions. Our multi-disciplinary team is working to solve tough customer problems by leveraging diverse technology platforms, differentiated capabilities, global footprint, and operational excellence. Discover how 3M is shaping the future at 3M.com/news.

Contacts
3M
Investor Contact:
Diane Farrow, 612-202-2449
Media Contact:
3MNews@mmm.com 

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Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers Announces Second Annual Operation Fur-Ever Home Pet Adoption Event at Lafreniere Park

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NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers is excited to announce the return of its second annual Operation Fur-Ever Home, a free community pet adoption event taking place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Lafreniere Park in Metairie, Louisiana.

The free, family-friendly event will give attendees the opportunity to meet adoptable pets from local animal shelters, learn about responsible pet ownership, and potentially welcome a new furry companion into their homes. Those who preregister for the event will also be entered for a chance to win a Soundcore speaker and a free pet adoption.

“Last year’s event was everything we hoped it would be, and we are incredibly excited to bring Operation Fur-Ever Home back for a second year,” said David Vicknair, founding partner of Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers. “There is something special about watching a family meet a pet that could become part of their lives for years to come. We wanted to create another opportunity to make those connections while supporting the organizations that work tirelessly to care for animals in our community.”

Building on the success of the first event, this year’s event continues the firm’s commitment to supporting local animal shelters and creating meaningful opportunities for families throughout Southeast Louisiana.

“Giving back to our community has always been an important part of who we are as a firm,” said Vicknair. “Whether we are helping students prepare for school, recognizing deserving teachers, or supporting local animal shelters, our goal is to make a positive difference in the communities we serve.”

Operation Fur-Ever Home is free and open to the public. Families, animal lovers, and anyone interested in adopting a pet are encouraged to attend and preregister.

About Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers

Scott Vicknair Personal Injury Lawyers is a New Orleans-based personal injury firm committed to providing exceptional legal representation while also investing in the communities it serves. Their experienced team of dedicated attorneys specializes in car accidents, personal injury, and wrongful death cases in New Orleans. With diverse personal and professional backgrounds, they craft legal strategies tailored to each client’s specific case and needs.

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Can we produce low-cost omega-3s without relying on fish?

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GOLD COAST, Australia, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Southern Cross University researchers are aiming to halve the cost of producing omega-3 supplements to make these essential nutrients more accessible to pregnant women and infants in low-income countries, backed by the University’s first-ever grant from The Gates Foundation.

The research takes a novel approach: rather than relying on fish oil, the team is going closer to the original source of omega-3. Fish don’t produce omega-3 themselves – they accumulate it from marine microorganisms lower in the food chain.

Led by Professor Dirk Erler from Southern Cross University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, the team is investigating how these naturally omega-3-producing microorganisms can be grown more cheaply through precision fermentation, including the use of agricultural and food-processing by-products as a source of fermentation sugar.

Omega-3 is an important nutrient during pregnancy and early life, supporting brain and nervous system development in babies. But the cost of supplements remains a significant barrier to access in many low-income countries.

“The main barrier for the uptake of omega-3s as supplements in pregnant women is the cost,” Professor Erler said.

“The whole objective of our project is to reduce that cost and make omega-3 supplements more available.”

The research team at Southern Cross University, which includes biomedical scientist Dr Nedeljka Rosic, Dr Shane McIntosh, postdoctoral researcher Dr Jasmine Haskell and PhD researcher Michael Ingram, is focused on growing omega-3-producing marine microorganisms known as thraustochytrids – or ‘throstys’ for short.

“By growing those microorganisms on land through precision fermentation, we have an alternative way of producing omega-3s that is both reliable and highly targeted,” Professor Erler said.

Precision fermentation allows the researchers to grow thraustochytrids under controlled conditions to produce omega-3 oils. The team is investigating whether expensive feedstocks used in the process can be replaced with lower-cost agricultural and food-processing by-products, helping drive down the overall cost of production.

The approach could also reduce reliance on wild-caught fish as a source of omega-3 oil and create a more reliable, scalable, and local supply.

For biomedical scientist Dr Nedeljka Rosic, the production challenge is ultimately about what greater access to omega-3 could mean for women and babies.

“As a biomedical scientist, my purpose is to find ways to use science to improve people’s health,” Dr Rosic said.

“This project is important because it aims to improve the health of pregnant women and children and reduce preterm births through simple dietary improvements.”

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SOURCE Southern Cross University

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