HERE and Genesys Partner to Tackle Distracted Driving and Deliver Next-Generation Navigation Experiences in India

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama) -- HERE Technologies, the global leader in digital mapping and location data, and Genesys International, an Indian geospatial solutions company, have joined forces to develop next-generation in-car navigation systems aimed at reducing distracted driving and improving road safety across India.

HERE Technologies Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, Deon Newman said there is a clear call from road users in India for more accessible and advanced vehicle safety technologies.

“Our collaboration with Genesys International bridges global expertise and local innovation, enabling automakers to integrate intelligent, ADAS-ready solutions that support safer, smarter, and more connected driving experiences in India,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Genesys International Corporation Chairman & Managing Director, Sajid Malik said: “We are combining our India-specific ADAS map technology with HERE's worldwide navigation platform to assist automakers in offering truly connected, context-aware driving experiences.”

The collaboration will integrate HERE’s real-time mapping and traffic data with Genesys International’s India-specific Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features to deliver a seamless and intelligent digital cockpit experience.

The solution will offer live navigation, road hazard alerts, speed limit updates, and optimised routing—particularly for electric vehicles—while enabling safety-critical features like ADAS alerts.

Given that India reports over 80,000 road crash fatalities annually and more than 3,000 deaths linked to mobile phone use, this partnership aims to deliver embedded, distraction-free solutions in line with the country's shift toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and connected mobility.

A recent HERE survey found that 98 per cent of Indian drivers are concerned about road safety, and 91 per cent see ADAS as essential to improving it. While digital infotainment is on the rise, many navigation systems still fall short—this partnership addresses that gap with artificial intelligence-driven, real-time, and locally customised solutions.

Both companies plan to co-develop further mobility innovations in India, including the potential launch of a dedicated innovation centre. The initiative reflects their shared commitment to “Made in India, for India” solutions that address the unique challenges of Indian roadways.

HERE powers over 54 million vehicles globally with ADAS-grade maps and services. Genesys, with over 2,000 professionals and two million kilometres of mapping data, is one of the world’s largest LiDAR-based geospatial firms.

-- BERNAMA

World Branding Awards: Animalis Edition Celebrates Global Pet Industry Leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- The fifth Animalis Edition of the World Branding Awards honoured outstanding pet and animal brands from across the globe, with winners recognised in National, Regional, and Global tiers for excellence in branding.

Hosted at the historic Hofburg Palace in Vienna, the event welcomed leading names in pet food, retail, wellness, exhibitions, and aquatic products. The evening was emceed by Mounia Berrada-Gouzi, culminating in a celebration of global brand excellence.

World Branding Forum Chairman, Richard Rowles said these awards honour brands that hold true recognition in the hearts and minds of consumers.

“Tonight, we honour those whose names resonate globally, whose values inspire loyalty, and whose presence defines excellence in the pet and animal industry,” he said in a statement.

Proving their excellence and impeccable branding, the Global tier winners include Frontline (Germany), Kit Cat (Singapore), KONG (United Kingdom (UK)), Sheba and Whiskas (both from the United States).

Winners from Malaysia include Nutriedge, OhMyPet! Expo, and Powercat, while Singapore celebrated victories for Fresh N Marine, Kit Cat, and Pampered Pets.

Other National tier winners featured Bamboodles (UK), Bok Dok (Thailand), CIAO (Japan), Delibest (Switzerland), Heads Up For Tails (India), Kaniva (Thailand), Topbreed (The Philippines), and Vancat (Türkiye), to name a few.

Regional tier winners—brands favoured in four or more countries across three or more areas in a specific geographic region—include Alps Natural (Malaysia), EHEIM (Germany), and Hikari (Japan).

Out of over 950 brands nominated by more than 80,000 consumers worldwide, just 105 brands from 25 countries secured the prestigious titles. Winning a World Branding Award cements a brand’s status as a trusted leader in its category.

As the 2025–2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition concludes, anticipation now builds for the Global Edition of the World Branding Awards, returning this November.

-- BERNAMA

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands Appointed Chair of Global Finance & Technology Network’s International Advisory Board

 

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands Appointed Chair of Global Finance & Technology Network’s International Advisory Board

Agustín Carstens, Former General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements, and Sanjiv Bajaj Chairman of Bajaj Finserv, Also Join the Board

SINGAPORE, July 3 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) announced today the appointment of Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA), as Chair of the International Advisory Board (IAB). The other new members of the IAB are Mr Agustín Carstens and Mr Sanjiv Bajaj, effective 1 July, 2025.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702705102/en/

The appointment of these globally respected leaders to its IAB marks a key landmark for GFTN, a Singapore-headquartered not-for-profit organisation that leverages technology and innovation to create more efficient, resilient, and inclusive financial systems through global collaboration.

“We warmly welcome Queen Máxima, Mr Agustín Carstens, and Mr Sanjiv Bajaj to the GFTN International Advisory Board,” said Mr Ravi Menon, Chairman of the Board of Directors, GFTN. “Their visionary leadership, breadth of experience and steadfast commitment to advancing financial innovation and inclusion will be invaluable for GFTN as we build bridges across policy, technology, and finance to foster a more purposeful financial ecosystem worldwide.”

Queen Máxima, UNSGSA, is a distinguished advocate for global financial health. She has leveraged her professional background in finance to champion accessible and resilient financial systems worldwide. From 2009-2024 she served as the UNSGSA for financial inclusion for development to improve worldwide access to financial services, especially for the underserved such as low-income households, women, smallholder farmers and SMEs. Nearly 80% of adults now have access to a payment account (Global Findex 2021), but access alone is not enough. As the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, Queen Máxima will focus on financial products, services and policies that prioritise the financial well-being of people by enabling people to manage their day-to-day finance, protect themselves against financial risks with savings and insurance, allow them to invest in short and long-term goals and create confidence in their financial future. Through strategic and sustained advocacy, Queen Máxima encourages cooperation and commitment among political leaders, regulators, global standard-setting bodies, civil society, and the private sector, to meet the needs of financially underserved groups. Queen Máxima’s work continue to shape policies that empower individuals and communities to achieve greater economic well-being and financial health.

Mr Agustín Carstens is a globally recognised economist and central banker who has played a key role in both national and international finance. As governor of Banco de México and Mexico’s Secretary of Finance, he led the country through challenging economic times, notably implementing innovative strategies during the 2008 global financial crisis that safeguarded Mexico’s macroeconomic stability. On the global stage, Mr Carstens was Deputy Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund and has served as the General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements from 2017-2025. At the BIS, he promoted modernisation and innovation in central banking, launching initiatives to enhance the functioning of the global financial system by developing public goods and fostering collaboration amongst central banks.

Mr Sanjiv Bajaj is one of India’s most influential financial leaders. Under his leadership, Bajaj Finserv has grown into one of India’s most diversified and innovative financial services groups, offering solutions across lending, insurance, and investments. Mr Bajaj has championed a digital-first, consumer-centric approach, transforming how millions of Indians access financial products. He has also served as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry and was a member of the Steering Committee appointed by the Government of India for B20 as part of India’s G20 Presidency for FY 2022-23.

About GFTN

The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) is a Singapore-headquartered organisation that leverages technology and innovation to create more efficient, resilient, and inclusive financial systems through global collaboration. GFTN hosts a worldwide network of forums (including its flagship event, the Singapore FinTech Festival); advises governments and companies on policies and the development of digital ecosystems and innovation within the financial sector; offers digital infrastructure solutions; and plans to invest in financial technology startups through its upcoming venture fund, with a focus on inclusion and sustainability.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702705102/en/

Contact

For media enquiries, please contact:
Preeti Dawra
Chief Communications Officer
Global Finance & Technology Network
preeti.dawra@gftn.com | +65 9643 6372

Source : Global Finance & Technology Network

--BERNAMA

KIOXIA AiSAQ™ Software Advances AI RAG with New Version of Vector Search Library

New Open-Source Software Enables Flexible Balancing of Capacity and Performance Based on User Needs and Environment

TOKYO, July 3 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) --In an ongoing effort to improve the usability of AI vector database searches within retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems by optimizing the use of solid-state drives (SSDs), Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced an update to its KIOXIA AiSAQ™ (All-in-Storage ANNS with Product Quantization) software. This new open-source release introduces flexible controls allowing system architects to define the balance point between search performance and the number of vectors, which are opposing factors in the fixed capacity of SSD storage in the system. The resulting benefit enables architects of RAG systems to fine tune the optimal balance of specific workloads and their requirements, without any hardware modifications.

First introduced in January 2025, KIOXIA AiSAQ software uses a novel approximate nearest neighbor search (ANNS) algorithm that is optimized for SSDs and eliminates the need to store index data in DRAM. By enabling vector searches directly on SSDs and reducing host memory requirements, KIOXIA AiSAQ technology allows vector databases to scale, largely without the restrictions caused by limited DRAM capacity.

When the installed capacity of the SSD in the system is fixed, increasing search performance (queries per second) requires more SSD capacity consumed per vector. This results in a smaller number of vectors. Conversely, to maximize the number of vectors, SSD capacity consumption per vector needs to be reduced, which results in lower performance. The optimal balance between these two opposing conditions varies depending on the specific workload. To find the appropriate balance, KIOXIA AiSAQ software introduces flexible configuration options. This latest update allows administrators to select the optimal balance for a variety of contrasting workloads among the RAG system. This update makes KIOXIA AiSAQ technology a suitable SSD-based ANNS for not only RAG applications but also other vector-hungry applications such as offline semantic searches.

With growing demand for scalable AI services, SSDs offer a practical alternative to DRAM for managing the high throughput and low latency that RAG systems require. KIOXIA AiSAQ software makes it possible to meet these demands efficiently, enabling large-scale generative AI without being constrained by limited memory resources.

By releasing KIOXIA AiSAQ software as open-source, Kioxia reinforces its commitment to the AI community with the promotion of SSD-centric architectures for scalable AI. 

Please follow the link to download KIOXIA AiSAQ open-source software.
https://github.com/kioxia-jp/aisaq-diskann 

* KIOXIA AiSAQ: All-in-Storage ANNS with Product Quantization, a novel method of index data placement, is a trademark of Kioxia. 
* All other company names, product names and service names may be trademarks of third-party companies. 

About Kioxia 

Kioxia is a world leader in memory solutions, dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). In April 2017, its predecessor Toshiba Memory was spun off from Toshiba Corporation, the company that invented NAND flash memory in 1987. Kioxia is committed to uplifting the world with “memory” by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society. Kioxia's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH™, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers and generative AI systems. 

*Information in this document, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is correct on the date of the announcement but is subject to change without prior notice.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250701087123/en/ 

Contact 

Media Inquiries:
Kioxia Corporation
Sales Strategic Planning Division
Satoshi Shindo
Tel: +81-3-6478-2404 

Source : Kioxia Corporation 

--BERNAMA 

SHELL V-POWER KICKS OFF “FEEL IT ALL” CAMPAIGN WITH A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME VIP EXPERIENCE UP FOR GRABS

Shell V-Power kicks off “Feel It All” campaign with a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience up for grabs

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- This year marks 75 years of partnership between Shell and Ferrari, a legacy built on innovation, performance, and trust. In the spirit of this ongoing collaboration, Shell V- Power is turning up the heat this June with a nationwide celebration of performance, precision, and passion. As part of its exhilarating “Feel It All” campaign, Shell V-Power invites Malaysians to experience its full performance and collect entries for a once-in-a-lifetime VIP Experience of Shell Motorsport, in Singapore.

Behind that experience is Shell V-Power. A bold expression of engineering excellence that delivers 3.93% more power, 3.69% faster acceleration, and is specially formulated to 100% clean critical engine parts to help keep engines performing like new. The Shell V-Power Racing, the only fuel used, trusted, and recommended by Scuderia Ferrari HP, shares at least 99% of the same types of compounds with Shell V-Power Racing fuel available at Shell stations across Malaysia, bringing track-proven performance to Malaysians who expect more from every drive.

Seow Lee Ming, General Manager, Mobility & Convenience, Shell Malaysia, said, “Shell V-Power is engineered for those who expect more from every drive: more power, precision, and performance.

As the only fuel used, trusted and recommended by Scuderia Ferrari HP, it represents the highest standard of fuel innovation, helping Malaysians “Feel It All” in every journey. With this campaign, we wanted to bring the thrill of motorsport closer to the people. From meeting with Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, to experiencing the pulse of the paddock, this is Shell’s way of delivering something our customers truly want: unforgettable moments powered by unbeatable performance,” added Lee Ming.

From 16 June to 10 August 2025, Shell customers who fuel with Shell V-Power or purchase selected Shell Helix engine oil and are registered Shell Loyalty members via the Shell App or BonusLink can collect entries to win many exciting rewards.

The Ultimate VIP Experience in Singapore
Six winners will receive the ultimate reward: an unforgettable journey to Singapore, where they will experience the pinnacle of Shell Motorsport up close, complete with exclusive access and first-class hospitality.

Autographed Merchandise & Virtual Access
Thirty winners will receive a signed Scuderia Ferrari HP 2025 Team Caps and enjoy a virtual Q&A session with Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, a rare chance to interact with the legends.

Weekly Wins. Premium Rewards.
The excitement continues every week. Twenty winners will be crowned weekly, and one lucky individual will become a BonusLink Millionaire. Meanwhile, 19 others stand a chance to win the Scuderia Ferrari HP 2025 Team Caps.

How to Win
With every RM80 spent on Shell V-Power 97, customers earn five entries into the contest, step up to Shell V-Power Racing at RM100 and unlock 10 entries. Or go further, purchase any selected 4L bottle of Shell Helix Fully Synthetic engine oil and gain 15 entries. The more premium your choice, the greater your chances.

Exclusive Ferrari Collectibles with Shell Helix Ultra
To fuel even more excitement, Shell is introducing an additional Shell Helix Ultra promotion. Customers can get a limited-edition Ferrari F1 SF-24 model car when they purchase any 2 bottles of Shell Helix Power or Shell Helix Ultra lubricants. Malaysia is the first market globally to receive this exclusive model, making it a must-have for collectors and Ferrari fans.

Shell’s Innovation Partnership with Scuderia Ferrari is one of the longest and most successful in motorsport. For more information, please visit https://www.shell.com.my/motorists/shell-fuels/shell-v-power.html.

SOURCE: Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Sdn Bhd

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: ​
Name: PREMA JAYABALAN
Senior Manager, Media Relations and Issues Management
Shell Malaysia
Email: Prema.Jayabalan@shell.com

Name: ARIVINTIRAN PONNAN
Manager
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Sdn Bhd
Email: Arivintiran.Ponnan@Edelman.com

--BERNAMA

Remedi, CGC Digital and Seedflex Partner to Enable On-Platform Financing for Clinics

(From left) MIDA Executive Director of Investment Promotion Faizal Jalaludin, Remedi Managing Director and Co-Founder Dr Khairul Faizi Khalid, CGC Digital Chief Executive Officer Yushida Husin, Seedflex Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ritwik Ghosh, and Cyberview Head of Technology Hub Development Shafinaz Salim at the signing ceremony between Remedi, CGC Digital, and Seedflex to enable on-platform financing for clinics.

 

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 (Bernama) -- Remedi, CGC Digital, and Seedflex today announced a strategic collaboration to expand access to business financing for private clinics through embedded financing within the Remedi clinic management platform. The initiative supports SME digitalization by integrating financial services directly into the Remedi Clinic Management Platform, already used by more than 500 clinics in Malaysia.

Supporting SME Digitalization and Financial Inclusion
This innovative collaboration is aimed at improving financing access for private clinics—many of which operate as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—by embedding loan and financing options within their existing digital workflows. It forms part of a broader effort to strengthen financial resilience among healthcare SMEs through alternative data and platform-based delivery.

A Digital Platform for End-to-End Clinic Management
Remedi provides an integrated solution for managing the full range of clinic operations. This includes appointment scheduling, billing, medical records, inventory control, and patient engagement, all in a seamless digital environment. The platform also captures valuable business insights that support predictive features, such as forecasting inventory needs.

“We are committed to helping clinics digitalize not only their operations, but also their access to financial and procurement services. Embedded financing is an innovative approach and natural step in building a full-service ecosystem for clinics and ensuring their operational sustainability as well,” said Khairul Faizi Khalid, Managing Director of Remedi.

In addition, the platform has launched a built-in procurement marketplace that allows clinics to order medical supplies and consumables directly, streamlining inventory management and making operations more efficient. By embedding financing into this ecosystem, clinics will be able to access working capital and business loans directly through the platform, reducing administrative burden and improving access to tailored funding.

“This initiative allows us to bring the alternative financing ecosystem closer to the point of need—supporting SMEs with both access and affordability,” said Yushida Husin, CEO of CGC Digital.

Bridging the Financing Gap by Connecting Ecosystems
This collaboration brings together critical components of the healthcare and lending ecosystems to address long-standing challenges in accessing financing:
· Remedi acts as the central hub, embedding financing tools within its operational interface and generating data to support credit evaluation.
· CGC Digital plays a facilitative role by enabling risk-sharing arrangements and connecting a broader network of financing partners to the platform leveraging CGC Digital’s financing marketplace, imSME.
· Seedflex provides flexible, performance-based financing tailored to clinics’ actual business activity, making capital more accessible and aligned with day-to-day operational realities.

By integrating financing into a platform already central to clinic operations, the partnership lowers barriers to funding, streamlines the application process, and enables more responsive and appropriate financing solutions—ultimately bridging the financing gap for a critical segment of healthcare SMEs.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Remedi and CGC Digital to provide flexible financing to address the real-life credit needs of healthcare clinics. This partnership allows us to continue pursuing our vision to bridge the credit gap for SMEs and give business owners of any size the same fair access to capital regardless of their background,” added Ritwik Ghosh, Co-Founder and CEO of Seedflex.

About CGC Digital
CGC Digital is a FinTech company, established as the digital arm of Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad. Registered in July 2022, its primary goal is to empower Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by creating a simpler and more seamless financing experience in the digital ecosystem.

For more information about CGC Digital, please visit www.cgcdigital.com.my.

About Remedi
Remedi, a leading digital health company specialising in Electronic Medical Record solutions is renowned for its fast-growing cloud-based Clinic Management Solutions trusted by over 500 clinics nationwide. Remedi is dedicated to enhancing the patient experience by improving primary care healthcare service efficiency and delivery with the use of innovative automation and digitalization of workflow in clinics.

About Seedflex
Seedflex is a new way of accessing credit for cashless businesses, co-founded by two former Grab executives who built the superapp company’s fintech lending business in Southeast Asia. Seedflex provides a new frictionless form of credit to cashless businesses by underwriting and collecting loans based on online sales alone. Real-time and granular transaction data provides sufficient basis for robust underwriting driven by proprietary credit scoring and strategy, while daily settlement of sales enables an opportunity for fractional and automated collection through Seedflex’s proprietary “Pay-As-You-Sell Advance”™ solution.

SOURCE: Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC Malaysia)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Chin Sze Yuen
Head of Partnerships & Marketing
Tel: +60169776034
Email: szeyuen.chin@cgcdigital.com.my

Name: Mohd Amie Rashidi Rasikon
Head of Business and Services
Tel: +60128889772
Email: rashidi@remedi.my

Name: Aaron Pan
Communications Consultant
Tel: +85261055550
Email: aaron.pan@seedflex.com


--BERNAMA

PETRONAS GAS BERHAD REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO SAFETY FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION FINDINGS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB) takes note of the findings released by the relevant authorities in relation to the 1 April 2025 pipeline incident at Putra Heights.
PGB reiterates our ongoing commitment to full transparency, continuous improvement, care for those affected, and to continue its collaboration with the Special Taskforce and relevant authorities. Since the incident, PGB has mobilised substantial efforts to ensure public safety, support the impacted community, and maintain gas supply continuity across the country.

This incident is unprecedented in the history of our gas transmission system, and we fully recognise the public concerns surrounding the safety of the pipeline system, especially with the continuity of gas flow through the network.

The Peninsular Gas Utilisation (PGU) system is designed with multiple layers of safety and resilience, underpinned by over three decades of engineering and operational experience. Our systems and people are working continuously to ensure secure and reliable gas delivery to homes, industries, and the nation’s power sector.

About PETRONAS Gas Berhad

PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB) is the leading gas infrastructure and utilities company with PETRONAS Group holding 51% of its equity. Incorporated in 1983 and listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia on 4 September 1995, PGB operates four integrated businesses, which are gas processing, transportation, regasification and utilities.

Our strategically located assets and strong operational performance ensures safe and reliable supply of products and services throughout Malaysia and Singapore. With over 30 years of experience in gas and utilities infrastructure operations, PGB steps up to pursue growth opportunities in domestic and emerging market as part of our integrated gas solutions.

PGB is a constituent company member of FTSE4Good Index Series, showing the Company's commitment to operate in a responsible manner in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) fronts.

Further details on PGB can be found at www.petronas.com/pgb

Issued by
Strategic Communications
PETRONAS Gas Berhad

SOURCE: PETRONAS Gas Berhad

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Florence Oh
Tel: +012 3081 092
Email: florence.oh@petronas.com

Name: Faris Fahmi
Tel: +6012 7717 857
Email: faris.mohd@petronas.com

--BERNAMA