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Switzerland Is No. 1 in the World, According to 2024 Best Countries Report

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Japan is No. 2, while the United States hits its highest ranking ever and Denmark steps into the top 10.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — For the third consecutive year, Switzerland tops the overall list of the world’s Best Countries, a rankings and analysis project by U.S. News & World Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Now in its ninth year, the 2024 Best Countries analysis evaluates 89 nations across 73 different attributes. Attributes are grouped into 10 subrankings, ranging from entrepreneurship and quality of life to adventure and heritage. The subranking of movers – which includes factors relating to a country’s future growth – is the most heavily weighted subranking this year. 

“Amid shifting global dynamics and heightened geopolitical awareness, the 2024 Best Countries rankings provide a comprehensive snapshot of how nations are perceived on the world stage,” said U.S. News Executive Chairman & CEO Eric Gertler. “The report sheds light on a country’s potential for economic, political and cultural success and can serve as a strategic decision-making tool for citizens, business leaders and governments to better evaluate their countries.”

This is the seventh time Switzerland has earned the No. 1 spot, a position it held every year from 2017 to 2020. Switzerland performed particularly well in the subrankings for open for business, quality of life and entrepreneurship. Japan rose four spots to claim No. 2, with modest gains in the movers, open for business and adventure subrankings.

With a notable increase in the open for business subranking, the United States climbed two spots to No. 3, marking its best performance in the history of the Best Countries rankings. The country notably ranked No. 20 in the movers subranking, marking another historically high performance. Rounding out the top 5 Best Countries are Canada at No. 4 and Australia at No. 5. Denmark rejoins the top 10 after a year’s hiatus, jumping three spots from 2023.

Key themes from the 2024 Best Countries Survey and Report:

Elections in the United States shape global outcomes. Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “Elections in the United States impact the rest of the world.” Meanwhile, close to half of global respondents agreed to some extent that Donald Trump would have a negative impact on the world if elected as the next U.S. president. About 34% agreed he would have a positive impact. Note: Kamala Harris was not the Democratic candidate when the survey was fielded so no comparable data for Harris is available for this metric.

Global support for Ukraine has waned. Respondents were generally favorable toward their own country’s support of Ukraine in its defense against Russia in 2022, with 72% agreeing to some extent with the statement, “My country should be supportive of Ukraine in their defense against Russia.” However, in 2023, that support fell to 67%, and in 2024 was at less than 66%.

Global optimism on artificial intelligence varies between Western and Eastern countries. More than 80% of survey respondents in China, Vietnam and Thailand agreed to some extent with the statement that the benefits of artificial intelligence outweigh the threats, while many Western nations were more cynical about AI.

Global support for immigration continues to tick down. Fifty-seven percent of respondents – down from 59% in 2023 – agreed to some extent with the statement, “My country should be more open to immigration.”

International support for gender equality remains strong, despite generational gaps. Eighty-nine percent of respondents believe that women should have the same rights as men, slightly down from about 90% in 2023. Agreement also varies by age, with more than 84% of respondents ages 18 to 35 supporting gender equality, compared with more than 94% of respondents ages 46 and older.

Perception of the global economy is improving. Seventy-seven percent of respondents agreed to some extent with the statement, “The global economy is in decline,” compared with 80% in 2023 and 82.5% in 2022.

The 2024 Best Countries rankings methodology is based on a proprietary survey of nearly 17,000 global citizens from 36 countries, including business leaders, college-educated individuals who are middle-class or higher, and general citizens who are nationally representative of their country. The survey was administered from March 22 through May 23, 2024.

“The Best Countries report speaks to the value of having a strong global image as nations compete for foreign trade, tourists and socioeconomic influence,” said David Reibstein, professor of marketing at the Wharton School. “The Best Countries ranking is more than a beauty contest. Global leaders need to realize that how their countries are viewed affects their economies through tourism, foreign direct investment and foreign trade, all critical components of their GDP.”

The Best Countries rankings are part of U.S. News’ Government Rankings initiative, which measures government performance at the international, state and local levels and includes the Best States and Healthiest Communities projects.

2024 Best Countries Rankings
See the full rankings here.

Overall
1. Switzerland
2. Japan
3. United States
4. Canada
5. Australia
6. Sweden
7. Germany
8. United Kingdom
9. New Zealand
10. Denmark

Quality of Life
1. Denmark
2. Sweden
3. Switzerland

Adventure
1. Brazil
2. Italy
3. Greece

Movers
1. United Arab Emirates
2. China
3. Qatar

Heritage
1. Greece
2. Italy
3. Spain

Racial Equity
1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. New Zealand

Green Living
1. Sweden
2. Finland
3. Switzerland

For more information on the 2024 Best Countries, follow coverage on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) using #BestCountries.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

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Verda and Compal Announce Partnership to Accelerate AI Infrastructure Development and Expansion

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TAIPEI, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Compal Electronics (Compal; TWSE: 2324) and Verda, the Helsinki-headquartered European AI cloud provider, purpose-built for the demands of frontier model training and agentic inference, today announced a strategic partnership under which Compal will supply next-generation GPU server systems to accelerate the build-out of its next-generation AI infrastructure across Europe and the APAC region.

Under this collaboration, Compal will supply high-density, liquid-cooled AI server platforms. The platforms are engineered for the workloads defining the next wave of AI: agentic applications that process extensive context and operate at high concurrency, while maintaining the thermal efficiency required for Verda’s sustainable cloud deployments.

The partnership underlines the growing global traction for Verda’s services as well as Compal’s growing role as an infrastructure partner to neocloud operators addressing rising demand for localized AI compute. As enterprises and governments increasingly prioritize data residency, security, and regulatory compliance, neocloud providers like Verda are emerging as key enablers of Sovereign AI strategies.

“Verda’s platform reflects where AI infrastructure demand is heading—toward regional, high-performance, and energy-efficient deployments,” said Alan Chang, Vice President, Infrastructure Solutions Business Group (ISBG) at Compal. “This collaboration demonstrates our ability to deliver advanced AI systems at scale for customers building the next generation of AI clouds.”

“Our mission is to build the next generation of cloud infrastructure for AI and empower pioneering teams across the globe. Working with Compal helps us deliver with world-class quality and reliability, and is an important step in our plans to expand our presence in the APAC region. We’re excited about what’s ahead,” said Jorge Santos, Chief Operating Officer at Verda.

Compal brings deep engineering expertise in accelerated computing, advanced thermal design, and system integration, enabling customers to deploy AI infrastructure efficiently while managing power density and operational complexity. To support global AI deployments, Compal continues to expand its manufacturing footprint across Taiwan, Vietnam, and the United States, strengthening supply-chain resilience and aligning production capacity with regional customer requirements.

About Compal
Established in 1984, Compal has grown into a leading global manufacturer of computers and smart devices, partnering with top-tier brands worldwide. Compal was recognized by CommonWealth Magazine as one of Taiwan’s top 7 manufacturers and has consistently ranked among the Forbes Global 2000 companies. Compal has actively expanded into new growth areas, including cloud servers, automotive electronics, smart medical and healthcare, and advanced communication solutions. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Compal operates design and production facilities in the United States, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, and Poland. Learn more at https://www.compal.com

About Verda
Verda (formerly DataCrunch) is a European AI cloud provider operating high-density GPU data centers across Europe, delivering on-demand compute for training and inference at scale. Headquartered in Finland, Verda runs infrastructure powered by renewable energy and serves frontier AI labs, research teams and startups building the next generation of models. Learn more at https://verda.com

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SOURCE COMPAL ELECTRONICS,INC.

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Mastercard and Yellow Card Partner to Unlock Stablecoin Payment Innovation Across EEMEA

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The two companies will explore innovative real-world use cases for stablecoin-enabled payments including strengthening digital asset payment security with Mastercard Crypto Credential

JOHANNESBURG and NEW YORK, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mastercard and Yellow Card, a licensed stablecoin infrastructure provider operating primarily across Africa, with additional capabilities in select emerging markets, have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate stablecoin-enabled payment innovation across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA), with plans for global expansion.

The collaboration will explore breakthrough applications for stablecoin payments across four key verticals: cross-border remittances, B2B settlement, digital loyalty ecosystems, and treasury management. Both companies will work with banks, financial institutions, and regulatory bodies to pilot secure, compliant stablecoin solutions that enhance payment efficiency and reduce costs for businesses and consumers.

The alliance will establish joint working groups to identify high-impact use cases, and create interoperable solutions for banks and financial institutions in the Mastercard network that bridge traditional finance with blockchain-powered payments. Initial focus markets include Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

“Emerging markets represent the greatest opportunity for payment innovation, but success requires deep local expertise and regulatory navigation,” said Chris Maurice, CEO of Yellow Card. “We bring years of experience building compliant stablecoin infrastructure where traditional banking falls short. Mastercard’s global network amplifies these capabilities, allowing us to serve businesses and consumers who need better, more affordable ways to move money across borders,” added Mr. Maurice.

Stablecoins are an exciting and useful option for some payments, and we look forward to working on additional use cases with Yellow Card, while continuing to leverage Mastercard’s expertise to make stablecoins seamless and secure. Together we look forward to taking digital finance into a new sphere, unlocking new efficiencies in cross-border trade, business-to-business settlements, and digital asset security, to generate a wide-ranging positive impact across the financial ecosystem,” said Mete Güney, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA, Mastercard.

The partnership builds on Mastercard’s expanding blockchain ecosystem and Yellow Card’s proven track record as one of Africa’s leading licensed stablecoin operators, reinforcing both companies’ commitment to utility-focused digital asset innovation. As stablecoins gain regulatory clarity and institutional adoption across emerging markets, the collaboration positions both partners at the forefront of secure, scalable digital payment solutions that bridge traditional finance with blockchain technology.

About Mastercard
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

www.mastercard.com

About Yellow Card
Yellow Card is one of the largest licensed stablecoin-based infrastructure providers with capabilities in 20 African countries and major emerging markets. From Stablecoin payment infrastructure to fiat settlement rails, wallet services, and custom local Stablecoin issuance, Yellow Card provides the complete à-la-carte infrastructure businesses need to manage Stablecoins, payments, and operations across emerging markets.

https://yellowcard.io/

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Chunghwa Telecom Reports Un-Audited Consolidated Operating Results for the First Quarter of 2026

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TAIPEI, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (TAIEX: 2412, NYSE: CHT) (“Chunghwa” or “the Company”) today reported its un-audited operating results for the first quarter of 2026. All figures were prepared in accordance with Taiwan-International Financial Reporting Standards (“T-IFRSs”) on a consolidated basis.

(Comparisons throughout the press release, unless otherwise stated, are made with regard to the prior year period.)

First Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights

Total revenue increased by 7.5% to NT$ 59.99 billion.Consumer Business Group revenue increased by 6.2% to NT$ 36.73 billion.Enterprise Business Group revenue increased by 8.5% to NT$ 18.81 billion.International Business Group revenue increased by 10.7% to NT$ 2.70 billion.Total operating costs and expenses increased by 8.3% to NT$ 46.89 billion.Operating income increased by 4.6% to NT$ 13.10 billion.EBITDA increased by 3.4% to NT$ 23.30 billion.Net income attributable to stockholders of the parent increased by 3.2% to NT$ 10.11 billion.Basic earnings per share (EPS) was NT$1.30.Total revenue, operating income, net income attributable to stockholders of the parent, and EPS all exceeded the high-end target of quarterly guidance.

“We began 2026 with a strong start, delivering financial performance across revenue, operating income, net income attributable to stockholders of the parent and EPS all exceeding our quarterly forecasts. Moreover, revenue reached a first-quarter record, the highest since 2012. These results reflect the continued strength of our business momentum,” said Mr. Chih‑Cheng Chien, Chairman and CEO of Chunghwa Telecom.

“This performance was primarily driven by robust growth in our ICT business, where both recurring revenue and order intake reached new highs. Our ICT revenue grew significantly year over year, supported by strong demand across key areas such as IDC, cloud, and AIoT services, underscoring our success in capturing emerging digital and AI-driven opportunities,” said Mr. Rong-Shy Lin, President of Chunghwa Telecom.

“Our mobile and broadband businesses also continued to deliver stable growth, benefiting from escalating 5G penetration and ongoing improvements in ARPU. Notably, our four value-added services all exceeded their remarkable million-subscriber thresholds, demonstrating our success in delivering value to users. These results reflect not only the resilience of our core operations, but also the effectiveness of our long-term strategy to balance stable cash-generating businesses with high-growth digital initiatives,” Mr. Lin continued.

“We are committed to advancing our 6G transition and AI-powered future. Our phased 5G standalone deployment is strengthening networking founding by targeting services in select verticals and high-traffic commercial districts for the 6G era,” Mr. Lin added. “Meanwhile, by building ‘CHT AI Factory platform’ to integrate our DeepFlow solutions, compute power, AI models and agents, we offer AI-enabled applications to customers and accelerate AI-related revenue growth in 2026. Alongside our technology advancements, ESG remains a core pillar of our long‑term strategy. We are confident in our ability to achieve sustainable growth and create long‑term value for our shareholders.”

Revenue

Chunghwa Telecom’s total revenues for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 7.5% to NT$ 59.99 billion.

Consumer Business Group’s revenue for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 6.2% Year-over-year to NT$ 36.73 billion and income before tax increased by 5.3% year-over-year, supported by steady increases in core telecom business and strong iPhone demands.

Enterprise Business Group’s revenue for the first quarter of 2026 increased 8.5% year-over-year to NT$ 18.81 billion, driven by robust ICT growth, while pre-tax profit declined 2.7% due to fixed voice service decrease. Notably, ICT order intake hit a quarterly record-high, led by network resilience, anti-fraud initiatives, and large projects for national fiscal and public surveillance systems, underpinning future growth momentum.

International Business Group’s revenue for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 10.7% to NT$ 2.70 billion and income before tax increased by 1.6% year-over-year, driven by rising demand for ICT services and stronger roaming revenue. In addition, we expanded investment in the AUG-East submarine cable this quarter, boosting Taiwan to Japan and Taiwan to Singapore bandwidth to 18+ Tbps, supporting international business growth.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Total operating costs and expenses for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 8.3% to NT$ 46.89 billion, mainly due to higher costs associated with growth in sales and ICT project revenue, as well as an increase in personnel expenses.

Operating Income and Net Income

Operating income for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 4.6% to NT$ 13.10 billion. The operating margin was 21.75%, as compared to 22.44% in the same period of 2025. Net income attributable to stockholders of the parent increased by 3.2% to NT$ 10.11 billion. Basic earnings per share was NT$1.30.

Cash Flow and EBITDA

Cash flow from operating activities, as of March 31st, 2026, decreased by 13.6% year over year to NT$ 11.19 billion.

Cash and cash equivalents, as of March 31st, 2026, increased by 20.8% to NT$ 35.10 billion as compared to that as of March 31st, 2025.

EBITDA for the first quarter of 2026 was NT$ 23.30 billion, increased by 3.4% year over year. EBITDA margin was 38.85%, as compared to 40.37% in the same period of 2025.

Business Highlights

Mobile

As of March 31st, 2026, Chunghwa Telecom had 13.34 million mobile subscribers, representing a 1.7% year-over-year increase. In the first quarter, total mobile service revenue increased by 4.4% to NT$ 17.70 billion, while mobile post-paid ARPU excluding IoT SIMs grew 3.6% year over year to NT$ 573.

Fixed Broadband/HiNet

As of March 31st, 2026, the number of broadband subscribers slightly increased by 0.5% to 4.45 million. The number of HiNet broadband subscribers increased by 1.4% to 3.80 million. In the first quarter, total fixed broadband revenue grew 3.0% year over year to NT$ 11.81 billion, while ARPU increased 2.5% to NT$ 818.

Fixed line

As of March 31st, 2026, the number of fixed-line subscribers was 8.57 million.

Financial Statements

Financial statements and additional operational data can be found on the Company’s website at http://www.cht.com.tw/en/home/cht/investors/financials/quarterly-earnings

NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Chunghwa’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Investors are cautioned that actual events and results could differ materially from those statements as a result of a number of factors including, but not limited to the risks outlined in Chunghwa’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms F-1, F-3, 6-K and 20-F, in each case as amended. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the current belief of Chunghwa as of the date of this press release and Chunghwa undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements for events or circumstances that occur subsequent to such date, except as required under applicable law.

This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from the issuer or selling security holder and that will contain detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

To supplement the Company’s consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards pursuant to the requirements of the Financial Supervisory Commission, or T-IFRSs, Chunghwa Telecom also provides EBITDA, which is a “non-GAAP financial measure”. EBITDA is defined as consolidated net income (loss) excluding (i) depreciation and amortization, (ii) total net comprehensive financing cost (which is comprised of net interest expense, exchange gain or loss, monetary position gain or loss and other financing costs and derivative transactions), (iii) other income, net, (iv) income tax, (v) (income) loss from discontinued operations.

In managing the Company’s business, Chunghwa Telecom relies on EBITDA as a means of assessing its operating performance because it excludes the effect of (i) depreciation and amortization, which represents a non-cash charge to earnings, (ii) certain financing costs, which are significantly affected by external factors, including interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and inflation rates, which have little or no bearing on our operating performance, (iii) income tax (iv) other expenses or income not related to the operation of the business. 

CAUTIONS ON USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In addition to the consolidated financial results prepared under T-IFRSs, Chunghwa Telecom also provide non-GAAP financial measures, including “EBITDA”. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with another method for assessing its operating results in a manner that is focused on the performance of its ongoing operations.

Chunghwa Telecom’s management believes investors will benefit from greater transparency in referring to these non-GAAP financial measures when assessing the Company’s operating results, as well as when forecasting and analyzing future periods. However, the Company recognizes that:

these non-GAAP financial measures are limited in their usefulness and should be considered only as a supplement to the Company’s T-IFRSs financial measures;these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the Company’s T-IFRSs financial measures;these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered to be superior to the Company’s T-IFRSs financial measures; andthese non-GAAP financial measures were not prepared in accordance with T-IFRSs and investors should not assume that the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this earnings release were prepared under a comprehensive set of rules or principle.             

Further, these non-GAAP financial measures may be unique to Chunghwa Telecom, as they may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. As such, this presentation of non-GAAP financial measures may not enhance the comparability of the Company’s results to the results of other companies. Readers are cautioned not to view non-GAAP results as a substitute for results under T-IFRSs, or as being comparable to results reported or forecasted by other companies.

About Chunghwa Telecom

Chunghwa Telecom (TAIEX 2412, NYSE: CHT) (“Chunghwa” or “the Company”) is Taiwan’s largest integrated telecommunications services company that provides fixed-line, mobile, broadband, and internet services. The Company also provides information and communication technology services to corporate customers with its big data, information security, cloud computing and IDC capabilities, and is expanding its business into innovative technology services such as IoT, AI, etc. Chunghwa has been actively and continuously implemented environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives with the goal to achieve sustainability and has won numerous international and domestic awards and recognitions for its ESG commitments and best practices. For more information, please visit our website at www.cht.com.tw

Contact:          Angela Tsai
Phone:            +886 2 2344 5488
Email:              chtir@cht.com.tw

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SOURCE Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd.

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