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IRRI and smart agriculture technology leader XAG collaborate to promote digital agriculture and precision farming in the Philippines

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LOS BAÑOS, Philippines, Jan. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and smart agriculture technology leader XAG are set to accelerate agricultural automation and innovation in the Philippines through digital agriculture and precision farming using drone technology.  Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), IRRI and XAG will collaborate to validate the application of smart agriculture technologies in rice-based cropping systems through experimentation and research.

XAG, through its Philippine partner Agridom, has donated agricultural drones to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to support its mission of advancing precision agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Agridom pioneered the introduction of XAG agricultural drones in the Philippines, bringing cutting-edge technology to local farmers and institutions. This collaboration with IRRI demonstrates Agridom’s unwavering commitment to driving agricultural innovation and empowering the sector with tools that enhance productivity and sustainability.

“Drones have been increasingly used for high throughput phenotyping, crop monitoring, improving agricultural productivity, and supporting precision farming. By providing efficient tools for crop monitoring, precision input application, and data-driven decision-making, drones provide the potential to significantly reduce costs and increase yields, optimizing resource use and minimizing environmental impact,” explained IRRI Senior Scientist and Digital Agriculture and Precision Farming Lead Engr. Steve Klassen.

This meant that drones could rapidly provide measurements of traits related to growth, yield, and stress adaptation. This technology is particularly valuable to smallholder farmers who must improve their productivity and reduce production costs to be competitive and stay in business in response to climate change, labor shortages, and higher input costs.

However, drone adoption in the Philippines is hindered by limited access to technology, lack of standard protocols, financial resources, and regulatory constraints. “To overcome these challenges, we need a comprehensive approach that involves targeted training, guidelines for best practices, financial incentives, and supportive government policies.”, Klassen said.

Klassen’s team is also working with the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) – National Program, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and their allied bureaus on the Drones4Rice Project, which aims to streamline and standardize drone protocols for applying seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides in the Philippines. The donated drones will support the ongoing Drones4Rice project and other IRRI global initiatives on sustainable farming and digital accelerators.

“IRRI is a key research and technology partner in the Philippines, and through this effort, we hope to contribute to the country’s agricultural competitiveness through drone-based technologies.” shared XAG Head of International Business Wei Tong. “XAG’s agricultural drones can be applied to various precision farming scenarios, specifically but not limited to direct seeding, pesticide spraying, fertilizer operation, and remote sensing. We hope to expand our engagements abroad to strengthen global food security and tackle climate change, as rice is the primary staple food that feeds over half of the world’s population.”, Tong shared.

Beyond this collaboration, XAG is also a member of the IRRI-led Direct Seeded Rice Consortium (DSRC), which promotes direct seeding methods in rice cultivation by developing technologies and training farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices.

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SOURCE XAG

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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.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/viettel-moves-100-million-subscribers-to-home-grown-cloud-native-charging-in-three-months–with-zero-downtime-302920106.html

SOURCE Viettel Group

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