GLOBAL LOGISTICS FORUM 2026 TO BE HELD IN RIYADH FROM NOV 29

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- The Global Logistics Forum 2026 will be held in Riyadh from Nov 29 to Dec 1, under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and hosted by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services.

The second edition will take place at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center and will be held alongside the UN Trade and Development Global Supply Chain Forum 2026 at the same venue during the same week.

According to a statement, the two forums are expected to bring together policymakers, industry executives and investors from around the world, making them a major regional gathering for the transport, supply chain and trade sectors.

The announcement follows the inaugural forum in 2024, which attracted more than 13,000 participants from over 30 countries, 140 speakers and 80 exhibitors. The event also resulted in 67 cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding worth more than 16 billion Saudi riyal (US$4.3 billion). (US$1=RM4.05)

The 2026 forum will focus on innovation in logistics services, integrated global connectivity and supply chain sustainability, while supporting Saudi Arabia's ambition to strengthen its position as a global logistics hub under Vision 2030.

The Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services said the forum's co-location with the UN Trade and Development Global Supply Chain Forum 2026 will provide a platform for launching strategic initiatives and developing international partnerships.

-- BERNAMA

ABNORMAL AI SECURES IMDA ACCREDITATION FOR GOVERNMENT, ENTERPRISE ADOPTION

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Abnormal AI, a behavioural artificial intelligence (AI) security platform, has been accredited by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and recognised as a trusted solution for government and enterprise adoption.

The accreditation status, effective July 1, positions Abnormal to pursue expanded engagement with Singapore government agencies and enterprises through IMDA's streamlined procurement process and market access channels.

Abnormal Regional Director, ASEAN, Sebastian Murphy said the accreditation reflected that the company’s platform has undergone IMDA’s robust evaluation process, giving Singaporean agencies and enterprises a validated path to adopt behavioural AI security.

“It reflects the investment we have made in this region over the past several years. We are looking forward to deepening our work with IMDA and the customers and partners we serve here,” added Murphy in a statement.

The IMDA Accreditation programme helps enterprise technology companies scale in the region. IMDA-accredited companies undergo independent evaluation across business and operations, technical capability and financial standing, giving government agencies and large enterprises confidence to adopt their solutions.

Being enrolled in the programme also gives companies access to IMDA's "Greenlane" procurement track, which is designed to substantially shorten typical government procurement timelines, as well as introductions to government decision-makers through IMDA's ecosystem.

Abnormal's accreditation status comes as organisations across Singapore and the broader ASEAN region contend with a rise in AI-generated social engineering, business email compromise, and identity-based attacks that typically bypass traditional, rules-based defences.

By establishing per-entity baselines across identities and environments, the company’s platform is designed to detect and stop sophisticated attacks, including many that have not been seen before, without relying on static rules or threat signatures.

Abnormal intends to continue evaluating opportunities to grow its presence in Singapore and across ASEAN, with additional investment in local go-to-market resources and government engagement expected in the near term.

-- BERNAMA

XSOLLA ADDS OVER 15 PAYMENT METHODS TO EXPAND GLOBAL REACH

Graphic: Xsolla

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, has added more than 15 new payment methods to Xsolla Payments ahead of Gamescom 2026, spanning Asia and Oceania; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and the Americas.

“Players in these markets are ready to spend. They just need to pay the way they already pay everywhere else. Every method we add is one more market where a developer can capture a sale they would have lost at checkout,” said Xsolla President, Chris Hewish.

Xsolla in a statement said game developers and publishers can now accept the local payment methods players already use across markets from Indonesia and the Philippines to Germany, France, and the United States, without additional integration.

According to Xsolla, the shift towards local payment methods is reshaping the digital payments landscape well beyond emerging markets. Across Europe, banks and regulators are building account-to-account and instant-payment alternatives to international cards, while the demand for local and instant payment options is growing worldwide.

Merchants that add a market’s top payment methods alongside cards have seen sales grow by up to 35 per cent, based on Xsolla data. Integrating more than 15 new methods helps developers capture previously unreachable revenue and reduce checkout abandonment, while allowing studios to expand their global reach without additional development complexity.

In Asia and Oceania, new methods include Mandiri in Indonesia, ShopeePay in the Philippines, LINE Pay in Taiwan, Octopus in Hong Kong, 7/11 (Konbini) in Japan and Zip Co in Australia. China UnionPay also expands its coverage into new regions and adds 35 local currencies.

Meanwhile, in EMEA, developers gain Wero in Germany and Belgium; Pay by Bank in Romania and Bulgaria; FLOA Pay, a buy-now, pay-later option in France; Bancomat Pay and MyBank in Italy; IRIS Commerce in Greece; and CliQ in Jordan.

In the United States (US), Aeropay brings Pay by Bank to Xsolla Payments, allowing players to pay directly from their bank accounts, one of the fastest-growing ways US consumers pay online.

The new methods are delivered through the existing Xsolla Payments integration, so developers already using the platform can enable options relevant to their markets without additional development work.

-- BERNAMA

CROSSBOW NAMED AS GEAR MEMBER, CONTRIBUTING PAYMENT SECURITY EXPERTISE

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- Crossbow Enterprise Cybersecurity, an enterprise cybersecurity partner, has been selected to serve on the PCI Security Standards Council’s (PCI SSC) 2026–2028 Global Executive Assessor Roundtable (GEAR) for its third consecutive term.

The roundtable is a direct channel between payment security assessors and PCI SSC leadership, and Crossbow is one of 33 organisations selected for the 2026–2028 term, according to a statement.

“Continuing as a GEAR member for a third consecutive term is a meaningful milestone for Crossbow and reflects our ongoing engagement with the global payment security community,” said Crossbow Enterprise Cybersecurity Head of GRC Operations, Sabeena Job.

Meanwhile, PCI Security Standards Council Executive Director, Gina Gobeyn said GEAR brings together experienced industry leaders whose expertise and perspectives help guide the continued evolution of PCI security standards and programmes.

“We look forward to working with Crossbow Enterprise Cybersecurity as we continue advancing our shared mission of helping organisations protect payment data around the world,” added Gobeyn.

Crossbow’s continued role on GEAR enables it to contribute practical perspectives on evolving payment technologies and global compliance standards, helping support security frameworks that remain effective and relevant.

The company brings nearly 12 years of experience across cybersecurity consulting, payment security, assessment, compliance and advisory services, spanning India, Asia Pacific, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States.

-- BERNAMA

SBC MEDICAL REPORTS 13 PCT RISE IN Q2 REVENUE, NET INCOME JUMPS 335 PCT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- SBC Medical Group Holdings Inc (SBC Medical) reported a 13 per cent year-on-year (yoy) increase in consolidated revenue to US$49 million for the second quarter (Q2) of fiscal 2026 ended June 30. (US$1 = RM4.08)

Net income attributable to SBC Medical surged 335 per cent yoy to US$11 million, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 32 per cent to US$20 million.

Basic earnings per share jumped 400 per cent year-on-year to US$0.10, while net income margin increased 16 percentage points to 22 per cent and adjusted EBITDA margin climbed six percentage points to 41 per cent.

In a statement, SBC Medical Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Yoshiyuki Aikawa said the company was increasingly confident that its growth reacceleration reflected strengthening underlying fundamentals, with the convergence of healthcare and artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a source of competitive advantage.

He said the company is leveraging more than 26 years of accumulated management data to develop AI-enabled services, including AI-powered call centres, AI-driven marketing and AI-assisted site selection for new clinics.

The company said the quarter marked a reacceleration in growth, supported by the expansion of its points business following a change in operating policy and higher service fees driven by enhanced AI-enabled support capabilities.

The medical corporations supported by SBC Medical also continued to expand, with the number of locations increasing by 34 yoy to 287 as of end-June. Last-12-month patient visits reached 6.9 million, up 10 per cent yoy, while average spending per visit rose nine per cent to US$287.

The company said fee revisions for call centre services provided to five affiliated medical corporations, together with separate fee revisions reflecting expanded support for Rize Clinic and Gorilla Clinic, are expected to increase annual service fees by approximately US$15 million if their impact is realised for a full year.

Looking ahead, SBC Medical said it will deepen its multi-brand strategy in aesthetic dermatology in Japan, expand its non-aesthetic business and accelerate international growth through its collaboration with OrangeTwist in the United States and expansion in Southeast Asia, anchored in Thailand. The company also plans to enter the longevity market.

-- BERNAMA

84% of Singapore Consumers Say Age-Gated Content Can Harm Minors, Putting Pressure on Platforms to Strengthen Age Assurance

 

^{84% of Singapore Consumers Say Age-Gated Content Can Harm Minors, Putting Pressure on Platforms to Strengthen Age Assurance}


New Jumio research also finds 81% of consumers in Singapore are willing to verify their age online and reveals growing support for reusable identity as a proportionate path to protecting minors and personal data


SINGAPORE, Aug 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Jumio, the leading provider of AI-powered identity intelligence, today released new findings from its 2026 Online Identity Study, revealing strong consumer support for protecting minors online and growing expectations for platforms to implement effective, proportionate age assurance.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260812013936/en/ 

The research found that 81% of global consumers and 84% in Singapore think access to age-gated materials online is harmful to minors. Consumers also indicated that they are open to participating in age verification efforts, with 75% globally and 81% in Singapore saying they are willing to verify their age online to ensure minors cannot access adult products and platforms.

While 83% of consumers in Singapore also believe age verification is an important tool for preventing access to harmful or restricted content, opinions vary on who bears the ultimate responsibility. When asked who they hold most responsible for protecting minors online, respondents pointed primarily to parents (68%), followed by government agencies (36%), individuals themselves (29%) and tech marketplaces (18%). Notably, 84% in Singapore also support government action to regulate access.

While consumers support stronger protections for minors online, effective age assurance also requires their participation. The findings reveal a challenge for digital platforms: consumers in Singapore want stronger safeguards, but some remain hesitant to complete identity checks or share personal information to enable them.

• 36% of respondents said they would avoid a platform entirely if asked to provide personal data for age verification.
• 46% of respondents said they would choose a less secure or less convenient platform if it meant avoiding identity checks altogether.
• 78% said they would feel more comfortable if they only had to share proof of eligibility rather than full personal details.

The findings underscore the balancing act facing digital platforms: delivering the level of assurance needed to effectively protect minors while making the verification experience proportionate to the risk and minimizing unnecessary friction for legitimate users. This confirms the importance of modern digital IDs, which can provide age assurance without sharing personal data. Building trust in the age assurance experience also requires organizations to explain why verification is necessary and how personal information is handled and protected.

“There’s still a major trust gap around what happens to personal data during age verification. Stronger age assurance doesn’t necessarily mean collecting and permanently storing large amounts of sensitive data, but consumers need to understand what information is required and why,” said Joe Kaufmann, global head of privacy at Jumio. “Transparency and responsible data handling are critical to building trust and encouraging consumers to participate in the verification process.”

Consumers also signaled strong interest in verification models such as reusable identity solutions that reduce repetitive checks while maintaining strong assurance. Notably, 65% globally and 70% in Singapore said they would prefer to verify their age once and reuse that verification across multiple platforms, rather than repeating the process each time.

The research also highlights why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to age assurance. Age estimation uses a selfie to predict a person’s age and produces a probabilistic signal, while age verification confirms that an individual meets a specific age threshold using information from a government-issued ID, typically supported by identity and liveness checks. While some platforms are experimenting with AI-powered age estimation tools, identity experts caution that estimated age signals may not provide enough assurance for regulated environments or higher-risk platforms.

“There’s an important distinction between estimating someone’s age and truly verifying it,” said Jumio CEO Mark Lorion. “Age estimation may reduce friction in lower-risk situations, but when platforms require high assurance, especially where minors are involved, the strongest age assurance is a multi-layered approach using a government-issued ID and a selfie check to confirm the real person behind the credential. The focus now must be on delivering that assurance while minimizing the amount of data collected and stored.”

As age verification requirements continue to expand globally, the research suggests consumers are willing to participate in stronger identity checks, but only if organizations can demonstrate transparency, privacy protection and responsible data handling. For digital platforms, building trust may depend as much on explaining how data is protected as on the verification technology itself.

Learn more about age assurance trends and modern techniques businesses can use to best protect minors online while also protecting data privacy by downloading Identity, Privacy, and Protection: The Future of Online Age Assurance.

To learn more about Jumio and its award-winning, AI-powered identity intelligence solutions, visit jumio.com.

About the Research

The Jumio 2026 Online Identity Study surveyed 8,003 adult consumers evenly distributed across the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Mexico. Censuswide fielded the survey between April 14 and April 27, 2026. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

About Jumio

Jumio helps organizations to know and trust their customers online. From account opening to ongoing monitoring, the Jumio Platform provides AI-powered identity intelligence anchored in biometric authentication, automation and data-driven insights to accurately establish, maintain and reassert trust.

Leveraging powerful automated technology including biometric screening, AI/machine learning, liveness detection and no-code orchestration with hundreds of data sources, Jumio helps to fight fraud and financial crime, onboard customers faster and meet regulatory compliance including KYC and AML. Jumio has processed more than 1 billion transactions spanning over 200 countries and territories from real-time web and mobile transactions.

Based in Sunnyvale, California, Jumio operates globally with offices and representation in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has been the recipient of numerous awards for innovation. Jumio is backed by Centana Growth Partners, Great Hill Partners and Millennium Technology Value Partners.

For more information, please visit www.jumio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260812013936/en/

Contact

Media Contact
Luke Nazir
FINN Partners
Luke.Nazir@finnpartners.com
+65 8139 2504

Source : Jumio

IHERB MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH GLOBAL SALE, PLATFORM EXPANSION

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- iHerb, a global eCommerce retailer of vitamins, minerals, supplements and health and wellness products, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with its biggest sales event of the year and the addition of 10 newly supported languages to its shopping platform.

In a statement, the company said the milestone comes as it serves well over 16 million customers across approximately 180 countries, reflecting growing consumer interest in proactive health and wellness.

The anniversary promotions will begin on Aug 19 ahead of the company's September anniversary, offering discounts of up to 30 per cent across more than 600 brands, alongside daily flash deals and other customer rewards.

iHerb Chief Executive Officer, Emun Zabihi said the company's 30-year milestone reflects the growth of its customers and team members, adding that it remains focused on improving the customer experience and investing in trust, access and convenience.

The platform's newly supported languages include European Spanish, European Portuguese, Georgian, Bosnian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Armenian, Farsi, Hindi and Cantonese, bringing its total language offerings to 46.

iHerb said each language experience is localised to enable customers across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to browse products and complete purchases in their preferred language.

Founded in 1996, iHerb has grown from selling its first supplement online from an apartment in Pasadena, California, into a global direct-to-consumer wellness platform, supported by a logistics network of climate-controlled and GMP and/or ISO-compliant facilities.

-- BERNAMA