AM BEST WITHDRAWS DELTA AFFILIATES' PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has affirmed the performance assessment (assessment) of PA-2 (Excellent) of Delta Insurance New Zealand Limited and Delta Underwriting Private Limited.

The companies are assessed on a consolidated basis under their parent, Delta International Limited (Delta), with a stable outlook on the assessment.

Concurrently, AM Best in a statement said it has withdrawn the assessment as the company has requested to no longer participate in AM Best’s interactive performance assessment process.

This assessment reflects Delta’s strong underwriting capabilities, excellent governance and internal controls, strong financial condition, excellent organisational talent, and strong depth and breadth of relationships.

In the credit rating agency’s view, the two affiliated companies exhibit several commonalities and are regarded as strategically and financially important to Delta, providing access to businesses in certain geographic jurisdictions in the Asia Pacific region.

AM Best assesses Delta’s underwriting capabilities as strong, noting that it has consistently recorded profitable underwriting results over recent years across a wide range of product lines and geographic regions. Its specialised underwriting philosophy and risk selection process, supported by in-house underwriting and claims management teams, has enabled rapid growth in its premium base through product and geographic expansion.

The rating agency also assesses Delta’s governance and internal controls as excellent, supported by a sophisticated framework for selecting capacity providers, extensive use of internal and external audits, policies and procedures, quality reviews and ongoing monitoring.

Delta’s financial condition is assessed as strong, supported by a track record of profitable operations, stable income sources and positive cash flow. The organisation does not retain insurance risk. AM Best expects shareholders’ equity to increase supported by positive earnings generation.

Delta is also assessed as having excellent organisational talent, with senior management highly experienced in its lines of business and operating regions. AM Best expects continued development in the quality and quantity of staff as the organisation grows.

-- BERNAMA

HORIZON QUANTUM, AQT PARTNER TO ADVANCE REAL-WORLD QUANTUM APPLICATIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Horizon Quantum Computing Pte Ltd, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Horizon Quantum Holdings Ltd (Horizon Quantum), has entered into a strategic collaboration with Alpine Quantum Technologies (AQT) to advance the development of real-world quantum computing applications through enhanced hardware-software integration.

In a statement, Horizon Quantum said the collaboration aims to combine advanced trapped-ion quantum hardware with scalable software infrastructure to accelerate the development of practical quantum applications.

The integration of Horizon Quantum’s Triple Alpha development environment with AQT’s trapped-ion quantum processors will enable developers, including those without specialised hardware expertise, to write, compile and deploy quantum programs directly onto AQT’s systems via the cloud.

Horizon Quantum Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Joe Fitzsimons said AQT’s trapped-ion systems offer low error rates and long coherence times, improving the scalability and reliability of quantum computing.

“Through this collaboration, Triple Alpha users will gain access to AQT’s processors, expanding their options for cutting-edge hardware designed to solve difficult computational problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, AQT CEO, Dr Thomas Monz said the Triple Alpha platform enables developers to navigate the complexity of quantum systems while maintaining programming flexibility and precision.

“The collaboration with Horizon Quantum provides broad and easy access to AQT’s hardware and leverages synergies between the two companies, which share the common goal of advancing quantum computing in practice,” said Monz.

Both companies will work closely with customers to address computational challenges and achieve joint technical milestones in quantum computing and software development.

Horizon Quantum aims to build a hardware-agnostic software infrastructure, with the collaboration expected to expand support for diverse quantum hardware architectures within its Triple Alpha platform.

-- BERNAMA

About 1,200 Athletes Compete In New Zealand National Dragon Boat Championships

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- The two-day 2026 New Zealand National Dragon Boat Championships concluded recently at scenic Lake Karapiro, Cambridge, bringing together around 45 teams and approximately 1,200 athletes from across the country.

As one of the country’s largest dragon boat events, competitors raced in the 200-metre and 500-metre sprints, as well as the 2,000-metre turn race. The steady beat of drums echoed across the course as paddles flashed through the water, showcasing the speed and intensity of dragon boat racing.

During the championships, a commemorative flower ceremony was held, with members of the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission (IBCPC) holding pink carnations to raise awareness of breast cancer prevention and honour life, adding a human touch to the event.

Organised by the New Zealand Dragon Boat Association, the event welcomed notable guests, including the International Ice Dragon Boat Federation President, Luo Zhongyi, and the IBCPC President, Meri Gabson.

Champion, an official partner of the championships, worked closely with the organisers to ensure a professional, fair, and efficient competition environment for all participants.

According to a statement, the championships highlighted the growing popularity of dragon boat racing in New Zealand, providing a platform for enthusiasts to experience the excitement of the sport and connect with one another.

New Zealand has a history of international participation in dragon boat racing. In 1995, the country sent a team to the World Dragon Boat Championship in Yueyang City, Hunan Province, China, becoming one of the early participants on the global stage.

With the sport continuing to gain momentum worldwide, more international events are expected to be held in New Zealand in the coming years.

-- BERNAMA

Vocalbeats.AI Partners with NTU Singapore to Establish the Vocalbeats.AI-Turing AI Scholarship for Singapore’s Next Generation of AI Talent

SINGAPORE, April 2 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vocalbeats.AI, a Singapore-based AI-powered audio company, today announces a partnership with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) to establish the Vocalbeats.AI‑Turing AI Scholarship. The partnership was formalised at a signing ceremony at NTU on April 1.

The scholarship aims to recognise and support exceptional undergraduates enrolled in the College of Computing and Data Science (CCDS) at NTU, reflecting Vocalbeats.AI’s commitment to nurturing world-class talent in Singapore. Recipients of the scholarship will be encouraged to apply for internships, mentorships, and career pathways within the company, as Vocalbeats.AI continues to grow its team in tandem with the expanding global reach of its products and services.

Marco Lai Jinnan, CEO of Vocalbeats.AI, said: “Voice AI is reshaping how people connect across languages and cultures. This scholarship is our commitment to ensuring we have the world-class talent to advance that frontier, and our experience working with NTU students and graduates has shown us what is possible when the brightest young minds take on real-world challenges. We look forward to creating more of those opportunities for students who are ready to build the future of voice AI with us.”

The scholarship comes at a time when demand for AI engineering talent continues to outstrip supply globally. In Singapore, the National AI Strategy 2.0 has set an explicit goal of tripling the nation’s AI practitioner pool, calling directly on industry to co-invest in building that capacity alongside universities, including NTU.

Professor Luke Ong, Dean of NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science and Vice President (AI & Digital Economy), said: “This partnership highlights the importance of industry-university collaboration in developing AI talent. The Turing AI Scholars Programme at NTU combines rigorous training in AI and computing with masterclasses, hands-on research opportunities, and international immersion experiences. With Vocalbeats.AI’s support, our students will have valuable opportunities to engage with industry, apply their skills, and contribute to Singapore’s growing AI ecosystem.”

Vocalbeats.AI has already been contributing to Singapore’s AI talent capacity-building objectives. In 2025, the company strengthened its university partnerships, welcoming students from local universities into its internship programme. One of the graduates from NTU has since transitioned into a full-time role and is currently contributing to the company’s research capabilities.

About Vocalbeats.AI

Vocalbeats.AI is a Singapore-based AI-powered audio company dedicated to innovating intelligent, user-friendly products and services designed to improve everyday life with more lifelike, intuitive, and accessible voice AI. Its expanding portfolio of AI-powered applications — spanning productivity, wellness, and beyond — is increasingly being embraced by a diverse global user base.

Beyond developing applications, Vocalbeats.AI is redefining how people interact with AI. Powered by an international team of engineers, designers and researchers, the Company pushes the boundaries of voice and AI technology to empower people everywhere to work smarter, connect more meaningfully, and live better.

For more information, please visit www.vocalbeats.ai.

Media contact: media@vocalbeats.com 

SOURCE: Vocalbeats

Mavenir Recognised With MSUA President’s Award For Outstanding Innovation

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Mavenir, the software company building artificial intelligence (AI)-by-design mobile networks, has won the President’s Award for Outstanding Innovation at the 2026 Satellite Mobile Innovation Awards organised by the Mobile Satellite Users Association (MSUA).

According to a statement, with this year’s theme highlighting sat-cell connectivity, Mavenir was named along with 10 other Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) innovators at a ceremony during the Satellite 2026 event in Washington, DC.

“We are delighted to receive this recognition from the MSUA for our work. Non‑terrestrial direct‑to‑device services unlock a new era of connectivity, delivering ubiquitous outdoor mobile coverage worldwide, even in the most remote locations.

“At Mavenir, we work with both mobile and satellite operators to accelerate the convergence of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, with our AI-by-Design NTN architecture delivering not just coverage but also a scalable service platform for continuous innovation,” said its Executive Vice President and General Manager for NTN Solutions, Sachin Karkala.

Meanwhile, MSUA President, Roger Lanctot added that Mavenir’s heritage from the cellular world and ground-breaking work with satellite players to bridge the gap between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks made them the obvious choice for the President’s Award for Outstanding Innovation.

Mavenir provides satellite operators with proven, standards-compliant packet core and NTN RAN solutions optimised for cloud-native deployment environments.

The company has successfully demonstrated the first voice over NB-IoT call using non-terrestrial mobile infrastructure, a milestone that has transformed the NTN mobile industry and created significant momentum for its advancement.

With a range of satellite operator customers, including Iridium and Terrestar, Mavenir is bridging non‑terrestrial networks with mainstream mobile services, enabling operators to deliver ubiquitous coverage, strengthen network resilience, and create new revenue opportunities.

-- BERNAMA

PDI Technologies Targets EMEA Retailers With AI Solutions At UNITI Expo 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) -- PDI Technologies, a global leader enabling smarter operations across the convenience retail and energy sectors, announced its return to UNITI Expo 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany, as a Cooperation Partner.

The company is set to demonstrate its connected ecosystem of solutions, emphasising the role of trusted operational data and practical artificial intelligence (AI) applications in driving smarter business decisions for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) retailers.

In a statement, PDI Technologies executive vice president and general manager, International, Dawn Desai stated that retailers require tools to react faster and operate with greater accuracy.

Desai highlighted that PDI’s advantage stems from the quality of its operational data, which supports proven innovations for customers to act with confidence, whether through automation, enhanced visibility, or AI capabilities.

UNITI expo, Europe’s premier trade fair for the service station and car wash industries, will convene top decision-makers from over 100 countries from May 19 to 21. The event will feature innovations across key areas, including Technology, Payment & Logistics, and Shop & Convenience.

Visitors to Hall 5, Stand 5B21 will observe how PDI assists fuel and convenience retailers in streamlining their operations. The featured solutions include Orbis Web for real-time back and head office visibility, improved logistics control for deliveries and fleets, and enhanced security and point of sale (POS) execution.

The ecosystem also provides tools for increased profitability, including advanced loyalty programmes designed to drive repeat visits and larger basket sizes, and data-driven, AI-supported dynamic pricing strategies.

PDI will further contribute to the event's educational agenda through the UNITI “International Forum”. Its vice president, Fuel Pricing & Logistics, Mark Evans, will lead a session titled “Three Forces Shaping the Future of Global Roadside Retail”.

The presentation will address shifts in the global energy landscape affecting fuel supply and pricing, the integration of AI in operational decision-making, and the evolving expectations surrounding sustainability across the sector.

-- BERNAMA

KYMETA UNVEILS FUTURE-READY MULTI-ORBIT SATCOM TERMINAL

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Kymeta Corporation, a flat-panel satellite terminal manufacturer, has launched its new Kestrel u5, a compact multi-orbit satellite communications (SATCOM) terminal designed for unmanned systems, national security operations, and high-speed industrial mobility.

The terminal enables seamless connectivity across multiple networks and constellations, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), and elliptical orbits, allowing users to adapt to diverse mission requirements.

Built for demanding environments, the Kestrel u5 features a lightweight, low-profile, and rugged design suitable for operations on land and at sea. It supports full-duplex communication and remote upgrades, ensuring future-ready performance in rapidly evolving operational landscapes.

According to Kymeta in a statement, the terminal incorporates a no-moving-parts architecture for easy installation on unmanned vessels and next-generation vehicles.

Its durability-focused design includes shock absorption and advanced radome technology, enabling high performance even in harsh conditions, including exposure to water and extreme environments.

The Kestrel u5 is also equipped with Low Probability of Detection/Interception (LPD/LPI) capabilities, offering a low thermal signature supported by low power consumption and a passive cooling system, enhancing operational security and resilience.

Beyond defence applications, the terminal is suitable for commercial use in sectors such as rail, construction, mining, and agriculture, where it can be mounted on vehicles to deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity.

The Kestrel u5 is now available for order, with production units expected to be released within the next month, followed by broader availability as Kymeta scales production to meet demand.

-- BERNAMA