Ascott Signs Record 19,000 Units Across 102 Properties in 2025

Source: Media Outreach

Advances multi-typology brand expansion into more than 10 new cities in Asia Pacific and Europe, including lyf in Wellington and Ascott in Taipei

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), signed a record 19,000 units across 102 properties in 2025, marking 27% year-on-year growth in new signings. Its asset-light expansion was led by higher-fee segments such as resorts, supported by accelerating franchise momentum and strong conversion activity. Ascott entered more than 10 new cities across Asia Pacific and Europe, growing its global footprint to over 230 cities in more than 40 countries. The company now operates and has under development more than 1,000 properties[1] with over 176,000 units globally.

Ascott marked its entry into Taipei with the signing of the 185-room Ascott Nangang Taipei, located in a prime mixed-use development within Nangang Software Park, one of the city’s premier business districts. The partnership agreement was signed by Ms Jocelyn Wang, Chairman, The GAIA Hotel and Mr Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, The Ascott Limited and Lodging, CapitaLand Investment.

Mr Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Ascott, said: “2025 marked a key milestone for Ascott as we accelerated asset-light signings and strengthened revenue visibility. With these new signings, we now have the embedded income to exceed our S$500 million fee target as pipeline projects turn operational. Our flex-hybrid model and multi-typology brand strategy enable us to optimise performance for property owners across market cycles, while disciplined investments in loyalty, technology and business development position us to capture growth in higher-fee segments including resorts, branded residences, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) and wellness. I thank our global teams and partners for their continued support as we advance our ambition to be the preferred hospitality company.”

Ms Serena Lim, Chief Growth Officer, Ascott, said: “As travel evolves into a lifestyle, consumers are seeking greater flexibility and choice in how they live, work and explore. Guided by insights from our owners and guests, we have pursued a deliberate growth strategy anchored in our flex-hybrid model and a differentiated suite of flexible living offerings. We are heartened by the robust growth in 2025, driven by strong owner commitment as reflected in portfolio deals across multiple brands. Approximately 30% of new signings came from existing partners expanding with us, underscoring trust in Ascott’s platform and our ability to meet diverse traveller and resident needs worldwide.”

Strategic City Expansion
In 2025, Ascott entered more than 10 new cities in Asia Pacific and Europe, including notable first properties in Wellington and Taipei, resort destinations such as Phuket, Phu Quoc and Langkawi, as well as emerging Tier-2 cities like Lucknow and Thanjavur in India.

Key milestones included the company’s expansion into New Zealand beyond its Quest franchise, with lyf making its debut in Wellington. Construction is expected to commence by the end of 2026, with the 108-room property set to transform six floors of a commercial building in the CBD, incorporating lyf’s signature social spaces and interconnected rooms for group travellers. With its strategic location in the heart of the capital’s business hub, the property embodies lyf’s experience-led social living philosophy, providing an accessible base for travellers, professionals and long-stay guests to connect with Wellington’s vibrant urban energy.

Ascott also entered Taipei, launching its flagship brand with the 185-room Ascott Nangang Taipei in Nangang Software Park, one of the city’s premier business districts. Scheduled to open in 1Q 2027, the serviced residence is part of a prime mixed-use development that also houses Taiwan Fertilizer Co., Ltd.’s headquarters and multinational companies including HP, Yahoo, Philips and Intel. It is further supported by a vibrant MICE and tourism ecosystem, with direct footbridge access to the Nangang Exhibition Centre, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre metro station and LaLaport shopping mall. The Nangang High Speed Rail station is also within walking distance. Designed for both short and extended stays, the property builds on Ascott’s expertise in transit oriented, mixed-use developments and supports its continued growth in the market.

Resort Portfolio Expansion
Capitalising on strong leisure travel demand, Ascott’s multi-typology brand strategy drove 15 resort signings in prime locations such as Phuket, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Bali, expanding its portfolio in resort destinations to over 50 properties. Notable additions include the 693-unit HARRIS Resort Cam Ranh, marking the brand’s first entry into Vietnam, alongside a 250-unit lyf and a 120-unit Somerset at Lagoon City Seville, Spain, a mixed-use development anchored by an 18,000-square-metre man-made lagoon.

In 2025, Ascott expanded its branded residences portfolio by partnering with quality developers on two new properties, adding over 1,000 units. These include the 227-unit Residences at Ascott Abov Patong Phuket (pictured), adjacent to Ascott Abov Patong Phuket Resort and just 150 metres from the iconic Patong Beach.

The company also expanded its branded residences portfolio by partnering with quality developers on two new properties, adding over 1,000 units: Residences at Ascott Abov Patong Phuket, next to Ascott Abov Patong Phuket Resort, and Oakwood Premier Branded Residences Luohu Shenzhen, co-located with Oakwood Premier Luohu Shenzhen. Leveraging its hospitality expertise and brand recognition, Ascott is well-placed to deliver lifestyle-oriented residences that meet growing demand in Asia Pacific while generating fee growth. Co-locating branded residences with its hotels enhances operational and marketing synergies, diversifies revenue streams and strengthens Ascott’s value proposition to owners and investors.

Ascott’s second branded residence project in 2025, Oakwood Premier Branded Residences Luohu Shenzhen, will feature 792 residential units in the vibrant Luohu district, sharing the same building as the 450-unit Oakwood Premier Luohu Shenzhen.

Franchise Growth Momentum
More than a quarter of the units signed in 2025 were under franchise agreements, supporting Ascott’s asset-light expansion. Franchise momentum in East Asia accelerated as the company strengthened its regional pipeline. Five Quest properties were secured in China through Ascott’s joint venture with Jin Jiang, alongside four franchise agreements to expand Citadines’ presence in the country. The largest franchise signing of the year was the 510-key Oakwood in Gangneung, South Korea, a resort-led development in Gangneung’s Cultural Olympic Special Zone with strong connectivity to Seoul, demonstrating Oakwood’s scalability in leisure and extended-stay markets.

In other regions, Ascott’s Quest franchise contributed five new signings in Australia, while franchise agreements for the Oakwood, Somerset and The Unlimited Collection brands in Europe and Africa further strengthened the company’s global footprint.

Conversions-led Growth
Over 38% of units signed in 2025 were conversions, reflecting owners’ preference for faster, lower-risk routes to market and Ascott’s ability to execute conversions efficiently across its diversified brand portfolio. Recent conversions, including Citadines Antasari Jakarta, Oakwood Bencoolen Singapore and lyf Zhangjiang Shanghai, were completed within months of signing, demonstrating Ascott’s capability to reposition assets swiftly and accelerate revenue generation for owners.

Brand Performance and Expansion
Ascott’s brands achieved milestones in scale and geographic reach in 2025. Citadines surpassed 200 properties globally with 17 new signings, boosted by its conversion-friendly positioning, while Oakwood secured 16 signings, maintaining strong owner appeal across business, leisure and extended-stay segments. Ascott’s collection brands continued their geographic expansion, with The Unlimited Collection expanding in Africa and Europe, while The Crest Collection entered the Middle East. Following the signing of The Unlimited Collection in Casablanca, Morocco, Ascott’s portfolio in the country now comprises 10 operational and pipeline properties across Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakech. This underscores Ascott’s strong momentum in Morocco, one of Africa’s most dynamic hospitality markets.

The flagship Ascott brand recorded 10 new signings, expanding its global portfolio to 87 properties including operational and pipeline assets. Notable additions include Ascott Coronation Square Johor Bahru, which secures a flagship position at the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone with direct connection to the upcoming Rapid Transit System Link, and Ascott Shenton Way Singapore, the brand’s third property in the city-state. Opening as a dual-format hotel and serviced residence, Ascott Shenton Way Singapore will integrate wellness-driven experiences with sustainable operations, showcasing the brand’s evolution in a prime CBD location.


[1] Includes Managed, Franchised, Leased, Owned and Other properties (including those under funds and JVs).

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Hashtag: #TheAscottLimited #Hospitality #Growth #NewSignings

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/10/ascott-signs-record-19000-units-across-102-properties-in-2025/

Consortium Successfully Completes Privatization of ANE (Cayman) Inc.

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – The consortium composing Centurium Capital, Temasek and True Light successfully completed the privatization of ANE (Cayman) Inc. (“ANE”). With its delisting from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange effective 4:00 PM today, ANE begins a new chapter as a privately held company.

Immediately after completion of the privatization, Centurium Capital, Temasek, and True Light indirectly hold approximately 51.78%, 17.35%, and 17.35% in ANE respectively. The remaining indirect equity interests in ANE are held by the trustee of the Equity Incentive Plans of ANE and the past shareholders of ANE that validly elected to roll over.

Mr. Michael Chen, Managing Director of Centurium Capital, said, “Building on our long-standing partnership with ANE, the completion of this privatization sets the stage for deeper collaboration and accelerated strategic execution. As the industry undergoes profound changes, moving into the private domain provides the agility and efficiency needed to navigate market changes and focus on long-term value creation. Alongside our consortium partners, Temasek and True Light, we are honoured to guide and support ANE in its pursuit of greater competitiveness and new opportunities in China’s dynamic logistics industry, and grow together with ANE’s employees and network partners.”

Ms. SHEN Ye, Deputy CEO of China, Temasek, said, “The completion of the privatization marks an important milestone as ANE embarks on a new chapter of transformation. As a global investment firm with over 20 years of experience in China, Temasek remains confident in the country’s long-term growth and the structural evolution of its logistics sector. ANE has built a high-quality national platform with a scalable franchise network and robust operational capabilities. Together with our consortium partners and ANE’s management team, we look forward to supporting the company in driving operational efficiencies and pioneering sustainable logistics solutions for the future.”

Hashtag: #ANE

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/consortium-successfully-completes-privatization-of-ane-cayman-inc/

China’s Langzhong Ancient City Extends a Global Invitation to Experience Authentic Festivities

Source: Media Outreach

NANCHONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – On February 4, at a briefing on cultural and tourism activities for the 2026 Spring Festival hosted by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Nanchong City announced an extended Spring Festival holiday (from the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month to the sixteenth day of the first lunar month of the following year, that is, from January 26 to March 4 of the solar calendar), inviting visitors from around the world to Langzhong, known as the “Ancient City of the World and Birthplace of the Spring Festival”, to experience the most authentic and abundant traditions of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The “Old Man of the Spring Festival” parades through the streets of Langzhong Ancient City while offering blessings.

The celebrations feature a wide range of programs designed to offer residents and visitors alike an immersive cultural experience. Visitors can explore the “Langzhong Stone Rubbing Exhibition for the Lunar New Year”, which showcases precious rubbings of stone inscriptions dating back 1,500 years, and trace the past through their tangible imprints. They may also encounter the “Old Man of the Spring Festival” roaming the streets in traditional costumes to bestow blessings and offer traditional New Year’s greetings.

To enrich the visitor experience, the ancient city has curated a wide array of interactive experiences, with millennium-old folk customs unfolding one after another. A vibrant intangible cultural heritage (ICH) market will present more than 40 nationally and provincially recognized ICH items. Visitors can try their hand at crafting delicate shadow puppets or cutting festive paper window decorations. They may also choose to watch a performance of the Ba Commandery Nuo Opera, a representative ICH item of Sichuan Province that blends ancient ritual practices with folk opera and carries a distinctive sense of regional mystique. Running throughout the festive period, the New Year Grand Temple Fair brings together cultural performances, themed exhibitions, and modern recreational attractions. Whether watching the large-scale cultural stage play Legend of Langyuan or experiencing water tours or low-altitude flights, visitors of all ages are sure to be thoroughly entertained.

Crowds fill the streets of Langzhong Ancient City, Langzhong City, Sichuan Province.

Langzhong’s reputation as the “Ancient City of the World and Birthplace of the Spring Festival” stems from Luo Xiahong, an astronomer of the Western Han Dynasty, who compiled the groundbreaking Taichu Calendar here. Luo was the first to incorporate the 24 solar terms into the Chinese calendrical system and to designate the first day of the first lunar month as the official start of the year, thereby establishing the Spring Festival as a fixed annual celebration. For this historic contribution, he is revered as the original “Old Man of the Spring Festival”. This calendar profoundly shaped Chinese agriculture and folk life for more than two millennia, securing Langzhong’s place as one of the cradles of Spring Festival culture. Today, Langzhong Ancient City stands ready to extend its warmest welcome to every visitor from afar, offering the most authentic New Year customs and the most heartfelt warmth of its people.

Hashtag: #NanchongInformationOffice

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/chinas-langzhong-ancient-city-extends-a-global-invitation-to-experience-authentic-festivities/

Bora Pharmaceuticals to Sponsor “Berkeley Dialogue” in Taipei, Advancing the Biopharma R&D and Supply Chain

Source: Media Outreach

Bora to discuss a recent collaboration with Therapi AI, highlighting its focus on strengthening operational execution across the biopharma development cycle and supply chain through AI-enabled technologies

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – Bora Pharmaceuticals (Taiwan Stock Exchange: 6472.TW; OTCQX: BORAY), a pharmaceutical services company operating under a differentiated “Dual-Engine” strategy that integrates a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with an innovative specialty pharmaceuticals business, announces its sponsorship of UC Berkeley ahead of the “Berkeley Dialogue” in Taipei. The event extends the platform that UC Berkeley has built for connecting executives from promising Asian biotech and medtech companies with global venture capital and academic leaders.

The “Berkeley Dialogue: Biotechnology & Drug Development”, held in parallel with a healthcare conference taking place at Regent Taipei, is designed to address an increasingly central challenge to founders and investors alike: how innovation and capital originating in Asia can be translated into globally executable and commercially scalable programs. The Berkeley Dialogue 2026 is a flagship forum series hosted by the Berkeley Club of Taiwan and supported by Bora Group to bring together academic leadership and industry insights around early discovery, development and scale up. Convened by Bobby Sheng, chairman & CEO of Bora Pharmaceuticals and former president of the Berkeley Club of Taiwan, alongside 8 distinguished UC Berkeley deans, 2 Nobel Laureates Fred Ramsdell and Omar Yaghi, and Chancellor Richard K. Lyons, the Dialogue will address global collaboration, innovation ecosystems, and AI-empowered drug development in the global biomedical landscape.
As an integrated CDMO with operations spanning Asia and North America, Bora supports programs originating in Asia as they advance toward U.S. and global clinical development and commercial manufacturing. The Company positions itself as a de-risking bridge across regions, applying consistent execution discipline and quality standards as programs scale.
“Asia has no shortage of strong science,” said Bobby Sheng. “The differentiator today is whether programs are built early with global execution in mind. Our role is to help emerging companies reduce downstream risk by aligning development, quality, and manufacturing decisions from the outset.” By bringing founders, scientists, and investors into the same conversation early, the Company aims to help address execution risk before it becomes a constraint on valuation, timelines, or scalability.
At “Berkeley Dialogue”, Bora will provide an overview of a recent partnership with Therapi AI, reflecting its focus on strengthening operational execution through technology. Bobby will share Bora’s perspective on the practical application of AI in biotech manufacturing and development, emphasizing the importance of building internal, knowledge-driven systems that enhance decision-making rather than chasing experimental use cases.
“AI will matter most where it improves reliability and execution,” Bobby added. “For us, that means applying it deliberately within our operations to capture institutional knowledge, improve efficiency, and support more predictable outcomes for our partners.”

Bora’s participation reflects a clear view of the next phase of Asian biotech growth where success will be defined less by novelty and more by execution credibility. By engaging early at the intersection of science, capital, and manufacturing, Bora aims to support companies and investors seeking to build globally scalable assets with fewer surprises as programs mature.

Hashtag: #BoraPharmaceuticals

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/bora-pharmaceuticals-to-sponsor-berkeley-dialogue-in-taipei-advancing-the-biopharma-rd-and-supply-chain/

YF Life Launches Exclusive Concert Tickets Lucky Draw via YFLink

Source: Media Outreach

Register Now for a Chance to Win YF Life Presents: LEON LAI ROBBABA CONCERT 2026 Live Tickets

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 -YF Life Insurance International Ltd. (YF Life) is excited to announce the launch of the “YFLink Concert Tickets Lucky Draw”, offering music fans the chance to win tickets to one of the city’s most anticipated concert, inviting music lovers to take a break from their daily routines and immerse themselves in an unforgettable musical experience.

YF Life launches YFLink Concert Tickets Lucky Draw. Register now for a chance to win YF Life Presents: LEON LAI ROBBABA CONCERT 2026 Live tickets

From February 9 to February 27, 2026, Eligible customers can enter the lucky draw by simply logging into the “YFLink” Mobile App and completing a quick registration. Participants stand a chance to win tickets to the “YF Life Presents: LEON LAI ROBBABA CONCERT 2026 Live” to experience the electric atmosphere in person. Each existing customer can enjoy up to five chances to win during the camp. Each eligible customer is eligible for 5 changes at most in the lucky draw.

Prizes:

  • Grand prize: Two “YF Life Presents: LEON LAI ROBBABA CONCERT 2026 Live” in Hong Kong concert tickets (each ticket is worth HK$1380)
  • 2nd prize: Two “YF Life Presents: LEON LAI ROBBABA CONCERT 2026 Live” in Hong Kong concert tickets (each ticket is worth HK$680)

Existing YF Life customers1 aged 18 or above who successfully completes the “Lucky Draw” registration via the “YFLink” platform within the Campaign Period are eligible to enter into the Lucky Draw. Each eligible participant will earn at least one chance of winning a prize in the Lucky Draw based on the number of in-force YF Life’s individual insurance policy (basic plan) (“Eligible Policy(ies)”) and member accounts of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme/ Macau Pension Scheme/ Macau Non-Mandatory Central Provident Fund Scheme (CPS) provided by YF Life they have (“Eligible Member Account(s)”), and fulfilling the relevant requirements. Each Eligible Policy or Eligible Member Account will be counted as 1 entry into the Lucky Draw of this Campaign. Accordingly, holding 2 Eligible Policies or Eligible Member Accounts will be counted as 2 entries, and so on. Each Eligible Participant is eligible for 5 chances at most in the Lucky Draw during the Campaign Period.

The lucky draw will be officially conducted on March 4, 2026. Winners will be drawn by computer system randomly. The results of the lucky draw will be published on the campaign website2,3, The Standard, and Sing Tao Daily (only applicable to Hong Kong) on March 9, 2026. Winners will be personally notified regarding the prize redemption arrangements via “YFLink” and SMS.

For more details about the lucky draw, please visit the campaign website (Hong Kong)/ campaign website (Macau).

Trade Promotion Competition Licence No.: 61079 (Only applicable to Hong Kong)

Terms and conditions apply.

Remark:

  1. Existing YF Life customers refer to existing policyholder holding at least one YF Life’s in-force individual insurance policy as of February 27, 2026 17:30; or existing member of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)Scheme/ Macau Pension Scheme/ Macau Non-Mandatory Central Provident Fund Scheme (CPS) provided by YF Life as of February 27, 2026 (with an account balance greater than zero on February 27, 2026).
  2. “YFLink Concert Tickets Lucky Draw” Campaign Website (Hong Kong)
  3. “YFLink Concert Tickets Lucky Draw” Campaign Website (Macau)

Hashtag: #YFLife

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/yf-life-launches-exclusive-concert-tickets-lucky-draw-via-yflink/

LNG terminal decision: Dirty, dumb and expensive – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace is slamming the Luxon government’s announcement it will build a liquid natural gas (LNG) import terminal, calling it a dirty, dumb and expensive decision that will leave New Zealanders subsidising more climate pollution through higher electricity bills.
The decision comes despite the expected high cost and high emission intensity of imported LNG. Building the LNG terminal is expected to cost $1 billion, while the cost of imported LNG is expected to be around twice as much per gigajoule as gas from existing onshore reserves.
“Electricity consumers will pay a Luxon Tax on their electricity bills to subsidize the fossil fuel industry,” says Greenpeace Executive Director Russel Norman.
“Instead of investing in clean energy, this Government is choosing to double down on the very fossil fuels that are driving both high power prices and extreme weather events.
“Every additional tonne of fossil fuels burned makes climate change worse. This LNG decision is yet another fossil fuel subsidy from the Luxon government that will mean more floods, storms, and climate fuelled damage.
“It makes no sense to rely on imported and expensive fossil fuels when we have abundant, cheap energy sources right here at home with wind and solar.”
A report by MBIE in 2024 found that there was no need for new fossil fuels to maintain New Zealand’s energy security out to 2050 and reported that wind and solar are the cheapest sources of new electricity generation.
Meanwhile, a 2023 Concept Consulting report found onshore gas reserves alone can supply all needs out to 2050 if Methanex, the company using between one third to a half of the country’s gas to make methanol for export, were to close, which it inevitably will as gas prices rise.
“This Government has made the energy and climate crises worse by dismantling nearly every initiative to decarbonise the energy system. They ditched the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry fund, the NZ Battery Project, and the Gas Transition Plan.
“Businesses are closing because the Government believed its own nonsense that the oil and gas exploration ban was the cause of high electricity prices. It never was and the LNG subsidy will solve nothing,” says Dr Norman.
“They even got rid of the Climate Emergency Response Fund set up to help communities recover from climate disasters. Now, they are planning to use more public money to bankroll fossil fuels for more climate emergencies.
“The Government should be investing in cheap, renewable wind and solar, backed by more storage and demand response, not exposing the country to a volatile global LNG market and locking us into more polluting fossil fuels.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/lng-terminal-decision-dirty-dumb-and-expensive-greenpeace/

ASB, Kiwibank last of the major banks to hike longer term rates

Source: Radio New Zealand

The changes bring ASB and Kiwibank into line with all other major banks. SUPPLIED

Fast changes in wholesale interest rates have seen ASB and Kiwibank become the last of the major bank lenders to hike their longer term fixed home loan rates.

ASB’s increases range between 10 to 20 basis points for loans fixed between 1 and 3 years, while Kiwibank has made adjustments to its 2 to 5 year rates. Both banks have shaved a little off their six month offering.

The changes bring ASB and Kiwibank into line with all other major banks, which have also bumped up rates in recent weeks.

ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley says the switch from talk of cuts to possible interest rate hikes in the Reserve Bank’s latest outlook has compelled markets to adjust pricing.

“We’ve seen for 2 year rates, a good 50 basis point increase in wholesale rates and nearly 60 for the 3 year, since the Reserve Bank’s statement last year, so to date the moves we’ve seen with mortgage rates aren’t really keeping up with that yet.”

Nick Tuffley says all banks are seeing similar impacts on their funding costs, leading them to pass on the increases to borrowers.

“I think the key message for people is that period of really low interest rates, super low interest rates, has gone, but the market’s settling into a reality of the cash rate’s likely to be on hold for most of this year, but we’re past the lows now,”

While tough for borrowers, savers will benefit from higher term deposit rates across the board, with banks looking to attract funding. Term deposit rates beyond the 9 month mark have had a significant adjustment, up anywhere between 5 and 35 basis points.

“Not too long ago, you could get a 2 year mortgage for not less than 4 and 4.5 percent,” says Nick Tuffley.

“Now you can put money on deposit for two years at 4% percent so quite a catch-up.”

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/09/asb-kiwibank-last-of-the-major-banks-to-hike-longer-term-rates/

Beyond Borders: XTransfer Insights-Opportunity in the Overlooked: The Underserved SME Cross-Border Market

Source: Media Outreach

The B2B cross-border trade payment market is immense, yet remain highly underserved

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – According to the World Bank, SMEs account for approximately 90% the world’s businesses and contribute 65% of the global cross-border trade. SMEs play a pivotal rolein most economies, particularly in emerging markets. Estimates from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggest that B2B cross-border trade payment market for SMEs is worth approximately $20 trillion.

However, traditional commercial banks have been facing multiple challenges in serving SMEs, including strict compliance and risk control requirements, lower profit generating, and license limitations, resulting in a large unmet demand through formal financial systems.

XTransfer’s field research in emerging markets indicates that many SMEs resort to illicit settlement channels like underground banks out of necessity. In fact, the trade volume processed through these unofficial avenues could be 2 to 5 times larger than the official import and export figures.

Compared to other segments, B2B cross-border payment presents vast opportunities

In the cross-border payment industry, services can be categorised into four segments based on money flows:

Four segments in cross-border payment industry.

Marketplace 2B
These businesses provide payment processing services for sellers on e-commerce platforms. Risk control is primarily based on e-commerce platform’s integrated of data streams (e.g., merchant details, logistics, transaction history). With relatively low technical barriers and compliance capabilities, the industry is highly saturated.

B2B
Focused on traditional cross-border trade enterprises, this segment has huge potential but features high risk control complexity and high barriers. Payment service providers must individually verify the entire information flow pertaining to each transaction (including buyer/seller details, orders, logistics, contracts, etc.), which results in many companies attempting to enter, but few succeed.

C2C
This primarily covers cross-border remittances between individuals. The overall market scale is relatively small, with limited use cases.

C2B
This is the most well-established segment, dominated by cross-border payment giants such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Stripe. The market is saturated with intense competition.

As a reference, the C2B cross-border payment industry has evolved dramatically over the last five decades, especially in the past ten years. Mobile wallet providers in China, the U.S. and Europe drove the mobile payment revolution, establishing a well-established cross-border settlement and risk control platform dominated by card schemes and wallets like PayPal. The system features significant advantages, including efficient transaction processes and unified risk control standards.

In contrast, B2B cross-border payments still primarily rely on traditional bank transfers. The sector as a whole is still on the cusp of the “mobile payment revolution” and has not yet formed a unified clearing mechanism or a standardized risk control system.

The payment sector need a new platform.

However, this development gap also points to a huge market opportunity. The B2B cross-border settlement market for SMEs desperately needs a shake-up. Service providers that possess a deep understanding of global customer needs and are equipped with technological and compliance capabilities will unleash vast growth potential in this space.

Beyond Borders: XTransfer Insights is a thought-leadership series that shares XTransfer’s perspectives on the forces shaping global trade and financial services. Through research-driven insights and real-world observations, it highlights emerging trends, key challenges, and opportunities across international markets.

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/beyond-borders-xtransfer-insights-opportunity-in-the-overlooked-the-underserved-sme-cross-border-market/

Health and safety sentencing gives important lessons for ‘overlapping duties’

Source: Maritime New Zealand

A sentencing in the Nelson District Court today [February 9] gives important health and safety lessons for when businesses are working together at the same workplace.

Maritime NZ Deputy Chief Executive Regulatory Operations, Deb Despard, says this is the ‘overlapping duties’ principle in the Health and Safety at Work Act. Importantly, while this case involved a fishing vessel, the lessons can apply to all industries covered by the Act, not only the maritime and ports sectors.

Maritime NZ prosecuted Sealord Group Limited after a crew member of the Sealord fishing vessel, Rehua, was trapped and crushed when a winch he was working on started unexpectedly. The crew member suffered serious chest injuries.

Sealord pled guilty to one charge under section 34 of the Act and was sentenced today.

The incident occurred on 4 June 2022, when Rehua was docked at Port of Nelson for planned maintenance. This included refitting its winch systems. Two other companies were also involved in the refit of the winches.

The Act makes each business responsible for carrying out their health and safety duties at the workplace, which in this case was the Rehua.

Business must also work together to manage safety (the Act says they consult, cooperate and coordinate activities). This is so they have shared understanding of the work and the risks, and agree who is best placed to manage safety. 

It was reasonably practicable for Sealord to consult, cooperate with, and coordinate activities with the other businesses by ensuring:

·         a toolbox talk involving all people working around or with the winch system, discussing the winch controls and a safe system of working that day took place

·         there was clear communication of a safe system of work

·         clear communication of training and supervision for the work involving the winch system.

“The lessons from this incident are being used to help keep others safe,” Ms Despard says.

“Maritime NZ is working with senior leaders in the industry through the Fishers’ Health and Safety Leadership Group, including Sealord, to progress initiatives together to prevent harm in the fishing sector.”

Maritime NZ is also sharing information about this case with the maritime and port sectors to increase knowledge of the Act and help prevent harm in future.

 

Editors’ note:

The Health and Safety at Work Act uses the term ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU). For ease of reading by the general public, Maritime NZ has referred to PCBUs as businesses in this media release. In this case the three PCBUs involved were businesses.

The Court ordered Sealord to pay $40,000 reparations to the injured crew member and imposed a fine of $12,950.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/health-and-safety-sentencing-gives-important-lessons-for-overlapping-duties/

Maritime NZ – Health and safety sentencing gives important lessons for ‘overlapping duties’

Source: Maritime NZ

A sentencing in the Nelson District Court today [February 9] gives important health and safety lessons for when businesses are working together at the same workplace.

Maritime NZ Deputy Chief Executive Regulatory Operations, Deb Despard, says this is the ‘overlapping duties’ principle in the Health and Safety at Work Act. Importantly, while this case involved a fishing vessel, the lessons can apply to all industries covered by the Act, not only the maritime and ports sectors.

Maritime NZ prosecuted Sealord Group Limited after a crew member of the Sealord fishing vessel, Rehua, was trapped and crushed when a winch he was working on started unexpectedly. The crew member suffered serious chest injuries.

Sealord pled guilty to one charge under section 34 of the Act and was sentenced today.

The incident occurred on 4 June 2022, when Rehua was docked at Port of Nelson for planned maintenance. This included refitting its winch systems. Two other companies were also involved in the refit of the winches.

The Act makes each business responsible for carrying out their health and safety duties at the workplace, which in this case was the Rehua.

Business must also work together to manage safety (the Act says they consult, cooperate and coordinate activities). This is so they have shared understanding of the work and the risks, and agree who is best placed to manage safety.

It was reasonably practicable for Sealord to consult, cooperate with, and coordinate activities with the other businesses by ensuring:

·         a toolbox talk involving all people working around or with the winch system, discussing the winch controls and a safe system of working that day took place

·         there was clear communication of a safe system of work

·         clear communication of training and supervision for the work involving the winch system.

“The lessons from this incident are being used to help keep others safe,” Ms Despard says.

“Maritime NZ is working with senior leaders in the industry through the Fishers’ Health and Safety Leadership Group, including Sealord, to progress initiatives together to prevent harm in the fishing sector.”

Maritime NZ is also sharing information about this case with the maritime and port sectors to increase knowledge of the Act and help prevent harm in future.

Notes:

The Health and Safety at Work Act uses the term ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU). For ease of reading by the general public, Maritime NZ has referred to PCBUs as businesses in this media release. In this case the three PCBUs involved were businesses.

The Court ordered Sealord to pay $40,000 reparations to the injured crew member and imposed a fine of $12,950.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/maritime-nz-health-and-safety-sentencing-gives-important-lessons-for-overlapping-duties/

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says government ‘unqualified’ to lead city’s economic recovery

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown wearing a cap with the word ‘Rates’ on it. (File photo) Supplied

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says the government is unqualified to lead the city’s economic recovery and should leave it to local council.

The comments came as Brown again renewed calls for a bed levy tax, despite the government’s opposition to the move.

A suite of events were set to be held in Auckland throughout the year, as major infrastructure projects neared completion.

The long-delayed International Convention Centre was finally due to open on Wednesday.

The new International Convention Centre. (File photo) New Zealand International Convention Centre

Construction of the Convention Centre began back in 2015 and was initially supposed to take 38 months, but had been plagued by a budget blow-out and legal wrangling.

“We’ve been waiting for such a long time. [Convention centres] are hard to make money out of.

“I understand it’s booked up pretty well, so it will bring in conventions and it will be part of the tourist offering. But that whole tourist thing is a bit of a question for us.”

The New Zealand leg of SailGP also returned to the waters of Waitematā Harbour this weekend.

Brown told Morning Report both events were a positive for the supercity.

“Those are two good things on this week, that’s for sure,” he said.

“It’s a big year really when you think about it.

“The Polo finals and the Blues and Chiefs are playing shortly. There’s a lot of sport,” he said.

Another long overdue milestone, the City Rail Link was also due to be completed later this year.

The Ocean Race, formerly known as the Round the World Race, was scheduled to return to the City of Sails in 2027.

Brown wasted no time pointing to the small matter of the Election, another major event pertinent to Auckland residents, he said.

“If you don’t win Auckland, you don’t get to be the government.”

Brown had long campaigned for a bed tax on visitors to help fund destination marketing and events.

He again expressed his desire for the scheme.

“The government can’t bring itself to do that yet, so that they’re raiding tourists at the border. And then central government will tell us how we spend on things, which is something we don’t like.

“All these big events want some money up front. And if we have the bed night levy we will have the money up front.”

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston, said a bed tax was not something she was pursuing this term.

“Our government has already announced a number of initiatives to boost tourism and events across New Zealand and in Auckland, including our $70 million major events and tourism package and a regional tourism boost announcement which invests in campaigns to market New Zealand (and Auckland) to overseas visitors.”

Upston said the government was firmly focused on growing the economy, including the Auckland economy, and tourism and major events remained integral to that.

“I recognise there’s been an interest in bed tax and am also aware of Wayne Brown’s recent comments.”

In response to Auckland’s lagging economy and high unemployment rate, the mayor said “it had its own ideas”.

Council-led initiatives such as the Auckland Innovation & Technology Alliance showed the council was better suited than the government in driving investment into the city, Brown said.

“Economic development; we’ve decided that council will lead this, because the government doesn’t quite know how to do that.”

When asked if he felt the government had dropped the ball, he replied “they hadn’t didn’t pick it up”.

“They’re not quite sure where it is/ There’s a lot we can do ourselves as well. Instead of them initiating things, we just want them to help with what we’re going to initiate.

“There’s too much centralised decision making in this country.”

Minister for Auckland, Simeon Brown said the government was focused on rebuilding the economy and Auckland was central to that.

“That’s why we’re fast-tracking major infrastructure like the $200 million Port of Auckland extension and incentivising business investment through Investment Boost and our Going for Growth agenda.

“The opening of the International Convention Centre and the City Rail Link later this year will further lift jobs and economic activity.”

Simeon Brown said business confidence in Auckland was at its highest in over a decade.

“GDP is up 12.1 per cent on 2019, labour force participation is 72.8 per cent, and CBD office vacancies have fallen for the first time since 2022 – a clear sign businesses are backing the city again.

The Mayor and Auckland Council would be wise to focus on keeping costs down for Aucklanders.”

Supporting a rates cap last week would have been a good first step, Simeon Brown added.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-says-government-unqualified-to-lead-citys-economic-recovery/

Asia Coach Group Partners with Veteran Business Consultant Rick Tam to Launch “Business Breakthrough” Programme for Hong Kong SMEs

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – Asia Coach Group Limited announced today its partnership with seasoned business consultant Rick Tam to launch the “Business Breakthrough” enterprise training programme, designed to help Hong Kong SME owners strengthen their business models, improve cash flow, and enhance financing capabilities.

Rick Tam, Founder of “Business Breakthrough” Coaching Programme for Hong Kong SMEs

Challenging Business Environment Demands New Solutions

Hong Kong’s SMEs are facing unprecedented operational pressures. According to a survey by CPA Australia, 37% of small businesses in Hong Kong struggle to obtain external financing. Data from Airwallex further reveals that 96% of SMEs have experienced cash flow difficulties in the past year. With property asset values declining, banks’ insistence on property collateral for loans has left many enterprises in financial distress.

Responding to Market Needs with Systematic Business Upgrade Solutions

“Hong Kong has never lacked capital—what’s missing is the mechanism to connect businesses with it,” Rick Tam noted. The programme addresses common pain points faced by local SMEs, including declining profits, low business valuations, tight cash flow, and recruitment challenges. Built upon the four-pillar framework of “Commerce, Strategy, Breakthrough, and Structure,” the curriculum covers stabilising cash flow and enhancing financial flexibility, repositioning businesses and improving client quality, reshaping product value and expanding profit margins, as well as systematising operations and attracting investors. The programme commits to helping participants improve cash flow, increase business value, and strengthen their business models within 90 days.

Four Practical Tools for Immediate Application

Participants will acquire four core tools: the “Cash Flow Vortex System” for rapid assessment of financial status and establishing safety buffers; the “A.T.C. Client Leverage Ladder” for repositioning and enhancing client value; the “High-Value Breakthrough Method” for creating products with greater value and trust; and the “Marketing Triangle Matrix” for integrating human resources, client bases, and operational systems to plan business expansion. The programme adopts a six-step progressive model—from restructuring business models, improving profit margins, attracting capital injection, building high-performance teams, and systematising operations, to ultimately helping business owners reclaim their time and freedom.

Instructor Credentials

Programme instructor Rick Tam is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong’s Business School and currently serves as CEO of two family offices and chief consultant to several others. He holds the CFPCM Certified Financial Planner designation. Tam has founded more than nine brands spanning wealth management, securities, and food and beverage sectors, and has guided over 1,000 participants through business expansion.

As Hong Kong’s economy seeks transformation, channelling capital precisely into the real economy through the “Business Breakthrough” approach offers more than a lifeline for SMEs—it injects vital momentum into Hong Kong’s long-term economic development.

https://asiacoachgroup.com/

Hashtag: #RickTam #AsiaCoach

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/asia-coach-group-partners-with-veteran-business-consultant-rick-tam-to-launch-business-breakthrough-programme-for-hong-kong-smes/

Media Council dismisses four complaints against RNZ

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Media Council has found that four complaints against RNZ did not have sufficient grounds to proceed.

In the first, the chief executive of United Flower Growers, Pete Brown, complained about the article Auckland florists say industry ‘in shambles’, plagued by resentment, published on September 15, 2025. The story reported florists facing difficulties relating to the state of the economy and a raft of changes made by their key supplier, United Flower Growers.

The article was based on comment from five florists, and included responses from Brown on behalf of UFG.

The Council noted that a feature of this complaint was Brown’s concern about RNZ’s decision to grant anonymity to the florists. He challenged that on the basis that two florists spoken to by RNZ had told him they were prepared to be named. This was disputed by RNZ.

The Council said it was in no position to consider this issue as it had no information to establish with any certainty what the florists and reporter agreed to. “Besides, the granting of anonymity in these circumstances is a matter of editorial discretion. That is appropriate and not a matter for second guessing by the Media Council.”

Beyond that the Council was not convinced there was sufficient foundation for complaint about this article. The complainant cited Principles (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance but there was no evidence that the article was inaccurate. As for fairness and balance, Brown was given the opportunity to respond and key points made by him were reported, albeit at the tail of the article.

“This sort of investigative reporting is supported by the Council,” the judgment said.

***

In the second case, Martin Broadbent complained about a series of articles published between November 17 to November 22, 2025, on the problems caused by feral cats and the decision to allow them to be targeted as predators.

Broadbent complained that RNZ’s reporting on feral cats and Predator Free 2050 blurred the legal distinction between feral and stray cats, thereby misleading the public and undermining animal welfare protections under the law.

RNZ firmly rejected the suggestion that it was blurring the categories. The term feral was widely used and was included in Predator Free 2050’s list of species. It argued the first story in the series clearly explained the difference between companion, feral and stray cats.

The Council agreed the first article spelt out precisely how feral and stray cats were defined and two other stories in the series also defined the word feral to make it clear they are not referring to strays. On that basis it saw nothing to support a claim that this was of “an orchestrated blurring of categories that misleads the public into believing all unowned cats are “feral” and subject to lethal control.”

The Council ruled there was nothing to show the reporting breached Principle (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance.

***

In the third case, RNZ published an article on November 23, 2025, titled Israeli airstrikes kill at least 20 people in Gaza, local medics say. This was a Reuters news agency report and was based on information provided by medics and witnesses to the airstrikes. It also included comment from the Israeli military and Hamas, who accused each other of violating a truce which was agreed to six weeks earlier.

Eric Mattlin complained that the story breached Media Council Principles (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance; (4) Comment and Fact; and (7) Discrimination and Diversity. He argued: “The article demonstrates a pattern of asymmetrical attribution with uncritical adoption of Israeli military claims, and a lack of context that affected how readers understood the events being reported. This article concerns an ongoing and highly controversial international conflict involving profound power asymmetries. While balance does not require false equivalence, it does require that significant perspectives and relevant context be included.”

In response, RNZ rejected the complaint and sent Mr Mattlin its language guide to the Middle East Conflict, which explained why it used such terms as ‘militant’ and ‘hostage-prisoner’. It added that RNZ had broadcast and published hundreds of pieces over the past two years, providing a wide range of views and the historical context behind the conflict.

The Council noted that RNZ and all other major New Zealand news outlets rely on international news agencies for most of their world news. Agencies like Reuters report for a wide and diverse international audience which requires coverage to be even handed.

The Council considered this story to be a fairly typical news report from Gaza. In accordance with standard journalistic practice it identified where information was obtained, and comment about the alleged ceasefire breaches was attributed to the Israeli military and Hamas. It also provided brief background on how the Gaza war started two years earlier.

Dealing with the complaint about terminology, the Council refered back to its decision on Mr Mattlin’s earlier complaint (No.3725) which stated: “The Council notes RNZ and other New Zealand media outlets are reliant on overseas news agencies for their coverage of the conflict, and it would be risky or possibly even a breach of RNZ’s agreement with those agencies to change the terminology used.”

The Council noted the story cited in this latest complaint was one of many that have been published on the Gaza War. “This is a long and complex story which has been reported extensively, and it is impractical to expect every report to cover all the context and background. It is clear that balance has been provided over time.”

The Council saw no evidence of bias or that the coverage and terminology was unfair or asymmetrical.

***

In the fourth case, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) published an article on December 22, 2025, Winston Peters makes u-turn on Chorus debt sell-off. The story was about the NZ First leader Winston Peters reversing his previous opposition to the Chorus debt sell-off, which in turn would clear the way for the Government to proceed with a plan to sell about $650m in interest-free loans that Chorus owes the government.

Hector O’Brien complained that the comment – “The Government does not have an (equity) stake in Chorus” – was factually incorrect as the Government-owned holding company National Infrastructure Funding and Finance Ltd had around 61.6 percent of shares in Chorus.

RNZ said the article was correct. The Government did not have an equity stake in this privately owned company. However, it was owed debt by Chorus, more specifically Ultra-Fast Broadband securities. It said the word “stake” had been used in a previous report, but this was updated in this story to make it clear that the Government had no equity or ownership in Chorus.

The Council noted that the line was taken directly from the December 17 press statement in which Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said: “It is important to note the government does not have an equity stake in Chorus and the securities involved are not ordinary shares.”

It further noted that NIFFCO is not listed as a major Chorus shareholder. Rather, it is shown through official documents and ministerial statements that the company was used to provide Government loan finance to Chorus.

In the circumstances no inaccuracy was shown, nor any unfairness.

All judgments can be found here: Media Council – Search

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/media-council-dismisses-four-complaints-against-rnz/

Zuellig Pharma Strengthens Consumer Healthcare Portfolio with the Acquisition of Zam-Buk® and Vapex® Brands from Bayer

Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – Zuellig Pharma, a leading healthcare solutions company in Asia, today announced that it has acquired all rights, title, and interest in and to the Zam-Buk® and Vapex® consumer healthcare brands from Bayer Consumer Care AG for Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Zam-Buk® is an ointment used for the temporary relief of pain and itch, including discomfort from insect bites. First launched in 1902, Zam-Buk® has retained strong brand equity over the decades and is widely perceived as a trusted household brand. Vapex® is a nasal inhaler used to help relieve nasal congestion. Launched in 1917, Vapex® has built meaningful brand recognition, particularly in Thailand.

The acquisition of the brands supports Zuellig Pharma’s strategic priority to strengthen and scale its consumer healthcare portfolio across Asia. It also marks the company’s second consumer healthcare acquisition, following Propan in the Philippines, reinforcing its focus on building a strong commercial platform for trusted, everyday healthcare products in the region.

“This acquisition marks another significant growth milestone for our consumer healthcare product portfolio. Zam-Buk® and Vapex® are enduring brands with deep heritage and trust in the communities they serve. By combining the brands’ legacy with Zuellig Pharma’s regional commercial capabilities and local market expertise, we aim to expand distribution and access across all relevant retail channels in the region. In doing so, these brands will continue to remain relevant, easy to find, and accessible to consumers.” said John Graham, CEO of Zuellig Pharma.

https://www.zuelligpharma.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/zuellig-pharma

Hashtag: #ZuelligPharma #ConsumerHealthcare #ConsumerHealth #Healthcare #Pharmaceuticals #Zambuk #Vapex #Bayer

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/zuellig-pharma-strengthens-consumer-healthcare-portfolio-with-the-acquisition-of-zam-buk-and-vapex-brands-from-bayer/

Former Air NZ boss, Greg Foran to be CEO of US retail giant Kroger

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Former Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran is headed back to the US retail scene with a report that he will be the new chief executive of US retail giant Kroger.

The Wall Street Journal reported he will be named as the new chief executive of Kroger after the previous chief executive was dumped for unacceptable personal conduct.

“Kroger officials have said they wanted to look for a candidate outside the walls of the company’s downtown Cincinnati headquarters who could bring a fresh perspective to the grocer,” The Journal report said.

Kroger operates supermarkets, grocers, jewellery, and hypermarkets with food and pharmaceutical retail sites in its own name and through various US state and regional brands.

It’s regarded as one of the big four US retailers with a turnover last year of about NZ$245 billion, with close to 3,000 outlets, and more than 400,000 staff.

Before his five year tenure at Air New Zealand Foran ran the US operations of retail giant Walmart in which he had a reputation as a demanding boss, who paid attention to customer service and product quality, resulting in increased sales through the group.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/09/former-air-nz-boss-greg-foran-to-be-ceo-of-us-retail-giant-kroger/

International Entertainment Corporation to Hold EGM on 26 February 2026 for Proposed Convertible Notes Issuance

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – International Entertainment Corporation (the “Company“, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group“; HKEX stock code: 1009) will hold an extraordinary general meeting (the “EGM”) on 26 February 2026 at 11:00 a.m. for shareholders to vote on resolutions related to the proposed issuance of up to HK$1.6 billion convertible notes (the “Notes“) to DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (the “Subscriber“) (Philippine Stock Exchange stock symbol: PLUS).

DigiPlus Interactive Corp., named as one of the Fortune Southeast Asia 500, together with its subsidiaries, is an innovative digital entertainment group in the Philippines and is a leader in the casinos and gaming industry. On 17 November 2025, the Company entered into the Subscription Agreement with the Subscriber, pursuant to which the Company conditionally agreed to issue and the Subscriber conditionally agreed to subscribe for the Notes in two tranches with a maturity of five years and an interest rate of 3% per annum.

Upon full conversion of the Notes at the initial Conversion Price, a total of 1,600,000,000 Shares will be issued by the Company, representing approximately 53.89% of the issued share capital of the Company as enlarged by the issue and allotment of the Conversion Shares. As such, the Subscriber will be obliged to make a mandatory general offer pursuant to Rule 26.1 of the Takeovers Code, unless the Whitewash Waiver is granted and approved.

The initial Conversion Price of HK$1.00 per Conversion Share represents a discount of approximately 3.85% to the closing price of HK$1.04 per Share as quoted on the Stock Exchange on the Latest Practicable Date (6 February 2026).

The board of Directors (the “Board“) believes that the Subscription would be beneficial to improving and strengthening the Group’s liquidity and financial position on a longer-term basis. In the event that the Subscriber converts part or the full amount of the Notes into the Conversion Shares, it will also broaden the shareholder and capital base of the Company. The Group intends to apply part of the net proceeds raised from the issuance of the Notes of approximately HK$489.22 million for the early repayment of the Promissory Notes and interest accrued thereon (the “PN Repayment“), and approximately HK$392.39 million to early repay the Secured Bank Borrowing to achieve immediate interest savings.

The remaining net proceeds will primarily be used for funding the Investment Commitment and attractive investment/business opportunity(ies); and as general working capital of the Group. The Investment Commitment is currently expected to include capital investments for acquisition of land for the expansion of the Group’s integrated resort in Manila City in the Philippines (the ”Hotel”) and the construction of additional hotel rooms, for provision of other amenities of the integrated resort, and for ongoing upgrades, refurbishments and renovations to the facilities and infrastructures of both the Hotel and the Group’s existing casino (the “Casino“).

The Independent Board Committee, which comprises all the independent non-executive Directors, is of the opinion that (i) the terms of the Subscription Agreement are on normal commercial terms, and the terms of the Subscription, the Whitewash Waiver and the Special Deal (the PN Repayment to the PN Holder) are fair and reasonable so far as the Independent Shareholders are concerned; and (ii) the Subscription, the Whitewash Waiver and the Special Deal are in the interests of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole and as far as the Independent Shareholders are concerned. It, therefore, recommends the Independent Shareholders to vote in favour of the relevant resolution(s) to be proposed at the EGM.

Hashtag: #InternationalEntertainmentCorporation

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/international-entertainment-corporation-to-hold-egm-on-26-february-2026-for-proposed-convertible-notes-issuance/

NZ-AU: IperionX Receives Prototype Purchase Order for U.S. Army Heavy Ground Combat Systems

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IperionX Limited (IperionX) (NASDAQ: IPX, ASX: IPX) has received a US$0.3 million prototype purchase order from American Rheinmetall for the production of 700 lightweight titanium components for U.S. Army heavy ground combat systems. This initial purchase order has the potential to lead to a significantly larger agreement upon successful delivery of this initial scope of work.

The components will be manufactured in the United States using 100% recycled titanium feedstock, produced through IperionX’s patented Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction (HAMR ) and Hydrogen Sintering and Phase Transformation (HSPT ) technologies. These technologies enable the domestic production of high-performance titanium components at materially lower cost relative to conventional titanium production routes.

Replacing steel components with titanium is expected to deliver measurable operational benefits, including a weight reduction of approximately 40–45% per component, translating to a reduction of several hundred kilograms per vehicle depending on final configuration.

Lightweighting is an increasingly critical design consideration for U.S. Army heavy ground combat platforms as the vehicles continues to gain mass through successive survivability and lethality upgrades, including enhanced armor systems and emerging counter-UAS and drone-protection solutions.

Specific benefits also include improved performance through reduced weight, enabling faster acceleration and better agility, increased operational range and survivability, and reduced ground pressure improving traction and flotation on soft or uneven terrain.

IperionX is the only domestic U.S. producer of commercial-scale primary titanium metal, a material that is designated as strategic and critical by the U.S. Government. Historically, the U.S. has relied heavily on foreign-sourced titanium sponge and upstream processing, creating vulnerabilities within defense and aerospace supply chains.

This purchase order directly supports U.S. Government priorities to reshore and secure critical materials supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign titanium sources, and expand domestic manufacturing capacity using recycled feedstocks.

IperionX CEO Taso Arima said:

“This purchase order demonstrates the practical application of IperionX’s recycled titanium technologies on important U.S. ground combat platforms. As the only domestic producer of commercial primary titanium, IperionX is uniquely positioned to support domestic defense priorities with secure, low-carbon, and cost-competitive titanium products manufactured entirely in the United States.”

The full release can be found here.

About IperionX

IperionX is a leading American titanium metal and critical materials company – using patented metal technologies to produce high performance titanium alloys, from titanium minerals or scrap titanium, at lower energy, cost and carbon emissions.

Our Titan critical minerals project is the largest JORC-compliant mineral resource of titanium, rare earth and zircon minerals sands in the United States.

IperionX’s titanium metal and critical minerals are essential for advanced U.S. industries including space, aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, fasteners, automotive and additive manufacturing.

Forward Looking Statements

Information included in this release constitutes forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “continue”, and “guidance”, or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management, anticipated production or construction commencement dates and expected costs or production outputs.

Forward looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, the Company’s ability to comply with the relevant contractual terms to access the technologies, commercially scale its closed-loop titanium production processes, or protect its intellectual property rights, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which the Company operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation.

Forward looking statements are based on the Company and its management’s good faith assumptions relating to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect the Company’s business and operations in the future. The Company does not give any assurance that the assumptions on which forward looking statements are based will prove to be correct, or that the Company’s business or operations will not be affected in any material manner by these or other factors not foreseen or foreseeable by the Company or management or beyond the Company’s control.

Although the Company attempts and has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements, or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward looking statements in these materials speak only at the date of issue. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange listing rules, in providing this information the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements or to advise of any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Contacts

Anastasios (Taso) Arima, Founder and CEO
Toby Symonds, President
Dominic Allen, Chief Commercial Officer

Investors: investorrelations@iperionx.com
Media: media@iperionx.com
+1 980 237 8900
www.iperionx.com

– Published by The MIL Network

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/nz-au-iperionx-receives-prototype-purchase-order-for-u-s-army-heavy-ground-combat-systems/

NZ-AU: IperionX – December 2025 Quarterly Report

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IperionX Limited (IperionX) (NASDAQ: IPX, ASX: IPX) is pleased to present its quarterly report for the period ending December 31, 2025. Highlights during and subsequent to the end of the quarter include:

Commercial operations

  • Commissioning Complete: Equipment and systems for both titanium powder production and component manufacturing have been fully commissioned at the Titanium Manufacturing Campus in Virginia.
  • Manufacturing Capacity Expansion: Advanced manufacturing capabilities continue to expand. The 100-ton uniaxial press (producing titanium nuts, bolts, and washers) and dry bag cold isostatic press (large titanium fasteners) are now operational. Additionally, a new 300-ton hydraulic press – designed for complex tiered shapes for consumer electronics enclosures or humanoid robotics components – will commence commissioning.
  • Path to Scale: Manufacturing capabilities are projected to grow significantly as IperionX prepares for a production capacity of 1,400 tons per annum (tpa) in 2027, supported by the installation of additional powder metallurgy presses and HSPT sintering furnaces.
  • Commercial Progress: Sales agreements are advancing, with a range of advanced prototyping activities underway across defense, consumer electronics, automotive, oil & gas, sporting goods, and industrial manufacturing.
  • New Agreements: Major milestones include an initial sales order from Carver Pump for titanium naval shipbuilding components, and an order from American Rheinmetall for lightweight titanium components destined for U.S. Army heavy ground combat systems.
  • Inventory Build: In parallel with custom prototyping, IperionX is building inventory for mass distribution channels. This includes a range of standard titanium fasteners, nuts, and washers, alongside dedicated fastener production for the U.S. military.
  • Quality Assurance: Manufacturing operations have achieved ISO 9001 certification, validating the integrity of IperionX’s quality management processes as production scales.

2027 U.S. Department of War (DoW) backed expansion to 1,400 tpa

  • IperionX is advancing its expansion to scale titanium production capacity to 1,400 tpa. This milestone will position IperionX as the largest and lowest-cost titanium powder producer in the United States.
  • The expansion is estimated to cost ~US$75 million. The majority of this capital is secured via the U.S. DoW Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, with the full US$47.1 million award now obligated.

Accelerated Growth Roadmap: Market Leadership in High-Performance Titanium

  • Next-Generation Development: IperionX is advancing the development of a new facility in Halifax County, Virginia. This site is designed to host the next generation of HAMR and HSPT technologies, targeting a step-change reduction in the titanium cost curve.
  • Continuous Production Breakthrough: These next-generation technologies utilize a new, patent-pending continuous production process that have been tested and proven at R&D level by IperionX. This titanium production innovation has the potential to deliver superior unit economics compared to the current batch processes.
  • Validation Timeline: Pilot-scale work is currently underway to validate this continuous production method at higher throughputs, with completion targeted in 2026.

U.S. Government Funding

  • Final IBAS Funding Obligated: IperionX has been obligated the final US$4.6 million under the U.S. Department of Defense’s US$47.1 million IBAS award. All funds allocated under this program have now been fully obligated, and a balance of US$43.1 million remains available for future reimbursement.
  • Production Expansion Capital: This final tranche of funding will be deployed to support IperionX’s scale-up to a production capacity of 1,400 metric tons per annum (tpa).
  • Feedstock Secured: The U.S. Government transferred ~290 metric tons (320 short tons) of high-quality titanium scrap metal to IperionX at no cost. This provides approximately 1.5 years of feedstock at current operating capacity.
  • Government Commitment: The full obligation of IBAS funding and the provision of zero-cost titanium scrap reaffirm the U.S. Government’s commitment to establishing a resilient, fully integrated, and low-cost titanium supply chain for the defense industrial base.

Titan Project Development

  • Critical Minerals Supply Chain Asset: The Titan Critical Minerals Project is a vital link in the U.S. critical mineral supply chain. It remains one of the largest permitted U.S. sources of titanium, zircon, and rare earth minerals.
  • Closing the Heavy Rare Earth Supply Deficit: With limited domestic production of DyTb and Y, the U.S. faces critical heavy rare earth supply gap. Titan’s rare earth concentrate contains high proportions of DyTb and Y, and is uniquely positioned to supply these essential elements, which are required for high-performance permanent magnets in defense and energy sectors.
  • Project Readiness: As a fully permitted project, Titan offers a fast-track solution for domestic DyTb+Y, titanium, and zircon supply. The Department of War funded Definitive Feasibility Study is on schedule for delivery in mid-2026.

Strong financial position

  • As of December 31, 2025, IperionX held a cash balance of US$65.8 million.
  • IperionX has been awarded a total of US$59.8 million in U.S. Government grants via the DoW’s DPA Title III and IBAS/ICAM programs. All funds under these awards have been fully obligated, legally committing the capital to IperionX within the federal accounting system.
  • These funds are accessed via a reimbursement model. IperionX incurs costs for approved activities and subsequently invoices the U.S. Government for repayment.
  • To date, US$13.3 million has been reimbursed to IperionX. A balance of US$46.5 million remains available for future reimbursement to support ongoing operations and expansion.
Program Obligated Reimbursed to date Remaining Balance
DPA Title III $12.7 ($10.3) $2.4
IBAS / ICAM $47.1 ($3.0) $44.1
Total $59.8 ($13.3) $46.5

A link to the full release can be found here.

Contacts

Anastasios (Taso) Arima, Founder and CEO
Toby Symonds, President
Dominic Allen, Chief Commercial Officer

Investors: investorrelations@iperionx.com
Media: media@iperionx.com

+1 980 237 8900
www.iperionx.com

– Published by The MIL Network

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/nz-au-iperionx-december-2025-quarterly-report/

NZ-AU: IREN Reports Q2 FY26 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

$3.6bn GPU Financing Secured for Microsoft Contract1

Targeted 140k GPU Expansion on Track to Deliver $3.4bn ARR by End of CY262

New 1.6GW Data Center Campus in Oklahoma

NEW YORK, Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IREN Limited (NASDAQ: IREN) (“IREN” or “the Company”) today reported its financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2025.

Highlights

  • $3.6bn GPU financing secured for Microsoft contract1
    • Interest rate of
    • Together with Microsoft prepayment ($1.9bn) covers 95% of GPU-related capex
  • Targeted 140k GPU expansion on track to deliver $3.4bn ARR by end of CY262
    • Horizon 1-4 construction progressing to schedule
    • British Columbia AI Cloud expansion ongoing, with ~$0.4bn ARR now under contract for Prince George and remaining contract negotiations supporting >$0.5bn ARR3
  • New 1.6GW data center campus in Oklahoma
    • Increases secured grid-connected power to >4.5GW
    • Grid-studies complete, with power scheduled to ramp from 2028
    • Large scale site (2,000 acres) with low latency network connectivity

Financing

  • IREN continues to strengthen its capital structure and fund growth through diversified sources:
    • Cash and cash equivalents were $2.8bn as of January 31, 20264
    • >$9.2bn funding secured financial year to date across customer prepayments, convertible notes, GPU leasing and GPU financing
  • Ongoing financing workstreams include:
    • GPU financing
    • Data center financing
    • Select corporate level initiatives

Q2 FY26 Financial Results

  • Results reflected continued progress in the transition from Bitcoin mining to AI Cloud, with capacity increasingly allocated to higher-value AI workloads and AI Cloud revenues accelerating as deployments ramped:
    • Total revenue decreased to $184.7m (vs. Q1 FY26 $240.3m)
    • Net income (loss) of $(155.4)m (vs. Q1 FY26 $384.6m)
    • Adj. EBITDA decreased to $75.3m (vs. Q1 FY26 $91.7m)5
    • EBITDA of $(243.9)m (vs. Q1 FY26 $662.7m)5
  • Net income (loss) and EBITDA were impacted by significant non-cash and non-recurring items, primarily:
    • Unrealized losses related to prepaid forwards and capped calls associated with convertible notes (vs. significant unrealized gains on such positions in Q1 FY26), together with a one-time debt conversion inducement expense, totaling $(219.2)m
    • Mining hardware impairments of $(31.8)m related to the ongoing ASIC-to-GPU transition across British Columbia
    • Stock-based compensation expense of $(58.2)m, including $(22.3)m of accelerated amortization on performance-based restricted stock units and stock options, driven by materially higher share prices exceeding defined performance thresholds
    • Partially offset by an income tax benefit primarily on the release of previously recognized deferred tax liabilities relating to the unrealized gain on financial instruments of $182.5m

Management Commentary

“Last quarter marked meaningful progress across capacity expansion, customer engagement, and capital formation, reflecting IREN’s progress as a scaled AI Cloud platform,” said Daniel Roberts, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of IREN.

“We are seeing the strongest demand environment to date, and importantly, that demand is being met by a proven execution capability. Over several years, we have consistently delivered data center capacity on time and at scale, and that delivery track record continues to resonate with customers who value reliability alongside performance.

“With more than 4.5GW of secured power, we are able to advance a broad set of opportunities in our pipeline and support the next phase of growth. Our $3.4bn ARR target represents an early stage of monetization relative to the size of our secured power portfolio, highlighting the scale of the platform we are building.”

Q2 FY26 Results Webcast & Conference Call

IREN will host its Q2 FY26 results webcast and conference call at the following time:

Time & Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, February 5, 2026
  Participant Registration Link
  Live Webcast Use this link
  Phone Dial-In with Live Q&A Use this link
     

The webcast will be recorded, and the replay will be accessible shortly after the event at https://iren.com/investor/events-and-presentations

About IREN

IREN is a leading AI Cloud Service Provider, delivering large-scale GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN’s vertically integrated platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and data centers in renewable-rich regions across the U.S. and Canada.

Contacts

Investors
ir@iren.com

Media
media@iren.com

Assumptions and Notes

  1. GPU financing and applicable interest rate is subject to agreed pricing parameters, level of base interest rates, execution of definitive long form documentation and customary conditions precedent.
  2. ARR of $3.4bn represents expected $1.94bn average annual revenue under Microsoft contract plus estimated $1.5bn ARR from ~63k GPU deployment at British Columbia sites, based on internal company assumptions regarding GPU models, utilization and pricing. It is not fully contracted, there can be no assurance that it will be achieved, and actual revenue may differ materially. Assumes on time delivery and commissioning of GPUs.
  3. ARR under contract of $0.4bn at Prince George is calculated as GPU/hour pricing for contracted GPUs as of February 5, 2026 multiplied by 8,760 hours per year and includes annualized revenue for storage and ancillaries. ARR under contract includes amounts that are not yet revenue-generating until the relevant GPUs are delivered, commissioned, and in service. There can be no assurance that contracted GPUs will result in such hours or pricing, and actual revenue may vary materially.
  4. Reflects USD equivalent, unaudited preliminary cash and cash equivalents as of January 31, 2026.
  5. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to page 12 for a reconciliation to the nearest comparable GAAP financial measure.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business plan and strategies and trends we expect to affect our business. These statements often include words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “suggest,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “should,” “potential,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “will,” “forecast,” and other similar expressions Forward-looking statements may also be made, verbally or in writing, by members of our Board or management team. Such statements are subject to the same limitations, uncertainties, assumptions and disclaimers set out in this press release.

We base these forward-looking statements or projections on our current expectations, plans and assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry, as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances and at such time. The forward-looking statements are subject to and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time they are made, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual financial results or results of operations, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may materially affect such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: Bitcoin price and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; our ability to obtain additional capital on commercially reasonable terms and in a timely manner to meet our capital needs and facilitate our expansion plans; the terms of any future financing or any refinancing, restructuring or modification to the terms of any existing or future financing, which could require us to comply with onerous covenants, restrictions or guarantees, and our ability to service our debt obligations; our ability to successfully execute on our growth strategies and operating plans, including our ability to continue to develop our existing data center sites, design and deploy direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems, and diversify and expand into the market for high-performance computing (“HPC”) solutions (including the market for AI Cloud Services and potential colocation services such as powered shell, build-to-suit and turnkey data centers (collectively “HPC and AI services”)); our limited experience with respect to new markets we have entered or may seek to enter, including the market for HPC and AI services; our ability to remain competitive in dynamic and rapidly evolving industries; expectations with respect to the ongoing profitability, viability, operability, security, popularity and public perceptions of the Bitcoin network; expectations with respect to the useful life and obsolescence of hardware (including GPUs, hardware for Bitcoin mining and any current or future HPC and AI services we offer); delays, increases in costs or reductions in the supply of equipment used in our operations including as a result of tariffs and duties, and certain equipment (including GPUs, hardware for Bitcoin mining and any other hardware for any current or future HPC and AI services we offer) being in high demand due to global supply chain constraints, and our ability to secure additional hardware (including GPUs, hardware for Bitcoin mining and any other hardware for any current or future HPC and AI services we offer), on commercially reasonable terms or at all; expectations with respect to the profitability, viability, operability, security, popularity and public perceptions of any current and future HPC and AI services we offer; our ability to secure and retain customers on commercially reasonable terms or at all, particularly as it relates to our strategy to expand into markets for HPC and AI services; our ability to establish and maintain a customer base for our HPC and AI services business and customer concentration; our ability to manage counterparty risk (including credit risk) associated with any current or future customers, including customers of our HPC and AI services and other counterparties; the risk that any current or future customers, including customers of our HPC and AI services or other counterparties, may terminate, default on or underperform their contractual obligations; our ability to perform under, and observe our obligations pursuant to, contractual obligations with counterparties, including customers of our HPC and AI services; changing political and geopolitical conditions, including changing international trade policies and the implementation of wide-ranging, reciprocal and retaliatory tariffs, surtaxes and other similar import or export duties, or trade restrictions; Bitcoin global hashrate fluctuations; our ability to secure renewable energy, renewable energy certificates, power capacity, timely grid connections, facilities and sites on commercially reasonable terms or at all; delays and costs associated with, or failure to obtain or complete, permitting approvals, grid connections and other development activities customary for greenfield or brownfield infrastructure projects, including as a result of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’s (“ERCOT”) announced amendments to the approval process for large load interconnection requests; our reliance on power, network and utilities providers, third party mining pools, exchanges, banks, insurance providers and our ability to maintain relationships with such parties; expectations regarding availability and pricing of electricity; our participation and ability to successfully participate in demand response products and services and other load management programs run, operated or offered by electricity network operators, regulators or electricity market operators; the availability, reliability and/or cost of electricity supply, hardware and electrical and data center infrastructure, including with respect to any electricity outages and any laws and regulations that may restrict the electricity supply available to us; any variance between the actual operating performance of our miner hardware achieved compared to the nameplate performance including hashrate; electricity market risks relating to changes in laws, regulations and requirements of market operators, network operators and/or regulatory bodies, including with respect to interconnection of facilities of large electrical loads to the ERCOT grid (for example, via a process that may batch multiple large load interconnection requests), grid stability, voltage ride-through, frequency ride-through and curtailment obligations; heightened complexity and additional constraints in energy markets including load ramp requirements by utilities or grid operators which may not align with our planned data center development and commissioning timelines; our ability to curtail our electricity consumption and/or monetize electricity depending on market conditions, including changes in Bitcoin mining economics and prevailing electricity prices; actions undertaken or inaction by electricity network and market operators, regulators, governments or communities in the regions in which we operate, including such actions that could result in the estimated power availability at secured sites being materially less than initially expected, available too late, delayed, conditioned upon technical or operational requirements or not available in each case whether at sustainable cost or at all; the availability, suitability, reliability and cost of internet connections at our facilities; our ability to operate in an evolving regulatory environment; our ability to successfully operate and maintain our property and infrastructure; reliability and performance of our infrastructure compared to expectations; malicious attacks on our property, infrastructure or IT systems; our ability to secure connection agreements to access power sources and permits or to maintain in good standing the operating and other permits, approvals and/or licenses required for our operations, construction activities and business which could be delayed by regulatory approval processes, may not be successful or may be cost prohibitive; our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights and confidential information; any intellectual property infringement and product liability claims; whether the secular trends we expect to drive growth in our business materialize to the degree we expect them to, or at all; any pending or future acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures or other strategic transactions, including our ability to consummate any such transactions on terms favorable to the Group or at all; the occurrence of any environmental, health and safety incidents at our sites, and any material costs relating to environmental, health and safety requirements or liabilities; damage to our property and infrastructure and the risk that any insurance we maintain may not fully cover all potential exposures; settlement and termination of proceedings relating to the default under certain equipment financing facilities, ongoing securities litigation, and any future litigation, claims and/or regulatory investigations, and the costs, expenses, use of resources, diversion of management time and efforts, liability and damages that may result therefrom; our failure to comply with any laws including the anti-corruption laws of the United States and various international jurisdictions; any failure of our compliance and risk management methods; any laws, regulations and ethical standards that may relate to our business, including those that relate to data centers, HPC and AI services, Bitcoin and the Bitcoin mining industry and those that relate to any other services we offer, including laws and regulations related to data privacy, cybersecurity and the storage, use or processing of information and consumer laws; our ability to attract, motivate and retain senior management and qualified employees; increased risks to our global operations including, but not limited to, political instability, acts of terrorism, theft and vandalism, cyberattacks and other cybersecurity incidents and unexpected regulatory and economic sanctions changes, among other things; climate change, severe weather conditions and natural and man-made disasters that may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations; public health crises, including an outbreak of an infectious disease and any governmental or industry measures taken in response; damage to our brand and reputation; evolving stakeholder expectations and requirements relating to environmental, social or governance (“ESG”) issues or reporting, including actual or perceived failure to comply with such expectations and requirements; volatility with respect to the market price of our ordinary shares (“Ordinary shares”); that we do not currently pay any cash dividends on our Ordinary shares, and may not in the foreseeable future and, accordingly, your ability to achieve a return on your investment in our Ordinary shares will depend on appreciation, if any, in the price of our Ordinary shares; and other important factors discussed under “Part 1. Item 1.A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2025 and “Part II. Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of IREN’s website at https:// investors.iren.com.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and does not necessarily include all of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements.

These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any forward-looking statement that IREN makes in this press release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, IREN disclaims any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release refers to certain measures that are not recognized under GAAP and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP. IREN uses non-GAAP measures including “EBITDA” and “Adjusted EBITDA,” and “Adjusted EBITDA margin,” (each as defined below) as additional information to complement GAAP measures by providing further understanding of the Company’s operations from management’s perspective.

EBITDA is defined as net income (loss), excluding income tax (expense) benefit, finance expense, interest income and depreciation and amortization, which are important components of our net income (loss). Further, “Adjusted EBITDA” also excludes stock based compensation, foreign exchange gain (loss), impairment of assets, certain other non-recurring income, gain (loss) on disposal of property, plant and equipment, unrealized fair value gain (loss) on financial instruments, debt conversion inducement expense, gain (loss) on partial extinguishment of financial liabilities, increase (decrease) in fair value of assets held for sale and certain other expense items. “Adjusted EBITDA margin” is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue.

Beginning in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, the Company has changed its definition of Adjusted EBITDA to exclude debt conversion inducement expense. This is a change from the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA in prior periods, and these adjustments did not have any impact on the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA in prior periods.

The reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are shown in the Appendix hereto.

     
Consolidated Balance Sheet
US$m As of December 31, 20251 As of September 30, 2025
Assets    
Cash and cash equivalents 3,260.6 1,032.3
Accounts receivable, net 9.6 24.1
Deposits and prepaid expenses 55.3 53.3
Derivative assets 2.9
Income taxes receivable
Assets held for sale 20.1
Other assets and other receivables 37.8 11.4
Total current assets 3,383.4 1,124.0
Property, plant and equipment, net 3,170.5 2,115.4
Intangible assets, net 107.6
Operating lease right-of-use asset, net 1.3 1.4
Deposits and prepaid expenses 148.8 30.5
Financial assets 681.4
Derivative assets 215.7 314.4
Other non-current assets 0.3 0.3
Total non-current assets 3,644.2 3,143.4
Total assets 7,027.6 4,267.4
Liabilities    
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 576.3 151.9
Operating lease liability, current portion 0.4 0.4
Finance lease liability, current portion 61.9
Deferred revenue 6.8 1.1
Income taxes payable 0.8 0.1
Other liabilities, current portion 36.1 50.2
Total current liabilities 682.1 203.7
Operating lease liability, less current portion 0.9 1.0
Finance lease liability, less current portion 94.1
Convertible notes payable 3,685.3 964.2
Deferred revenue, less current portion 39.8 22.2
Deferred tax liabilities 8.1 195.4
Income taxes payable, less current portion 2.3 2.0
Other liabilities, less current portion 3.8 2.7
Total non-current liabilities 3,834.3 1,187.5
Total liabilities 4,516.4 1,391.2
Stockholders’ equity 2,511.2 2,876.2
Total stockholders’ equity 2,511.2 2,876.2
     
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity 7,027.6 4,267.4

1) For further detail, see our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, included in our Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on February 5, 2026.

     
Consolidated Statement of Operations
US$m Quarter ended Quarter ended
December 31, 20251 September 30, 2025
Revenue    
Bitcoin Mining Revenue 167.4 233.0
AI Cloud Services Revenue 17.3 7.3
Total Revenue 184.7 240.3
Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)    
Bitcoin Mining (63.4) (80.0)
AI Cloud Services (2.4) (0.7)
Total cost of revenue (65.8) (80.7)
Operating (expenses) income    
Selling, general and administrative expenses (100.8) (138.4)
Depreciation and amortization (99.2) (85.2)
Impairment of assets (31.8) (16.3)
Gain (loss) on disposal of property, plant and equipment 0.0 (0.0)
Other operating expenses (5.5)
Other operating income 1.8 3.8
Total operating (expenses) income (235.3) (236.0)
Operating (loss) income (116.4) (76.4)
Other (expense) income:    
Finance expense (10.7) (9.3)
Interest income 15.8 7.1
Increase (decrease) in fair value of assets held for sale (6.4)
Realized gain (loss) on financial instruments (2.9) (5.8)
Unrealized gain (loss) on financial instruments (107.4) 665.0
Debt conversion inducement expense (111.8)
Foreign exchange gain (loss) 1.9 (5.4)
Other non-operating income
Total other (expense) income (221.5) 651.7
Income (loss) before taxes (337.9) 575.3
Income tax (expense) benefit 182.5 (190.7)
Net income (loss) (155.4) 384.6

1)  For further detail, see our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, included in our Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on February 5, 2026.

     
Consolidated Statement of Cashflows
 US$m Quarter ended Quarter ended
December 31, 20251 September 30, 2025
Cash flow from operating activities    
Net income (loss) (155.4) 384.6
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash from (used in) operating activities:    
Depreciation and amortization 99.2 85.2
Impairment of assets 31.8 16.3
Increase (decrease) in fair value of assets held for sale 6.4
Realised (gain) loss on financial instruments 2.9 5.8
Unrealised (gain) loss on financial instruments 107.4 (665.0)
Debt conversion inducement expense 111.8
(Gain) loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment (0.0) 0.0
Foreign exchange loss (gain) 5.5 2.2
Stock-based compensation expense 58.2 72.4
Amortization of debt issuance costs 2.0 1.3
Changes in assets and liabilities:    
Accounts receivable and other receivables (11.9) (13.1)
Other assets 0.0 0.2
Tax related receivables (2.6) 2.6
Tax related liabilities (180.3) 187.9
Accounts payable and accrued expenses (12.5) 3.5
Other liabilities (13.0) 48.7
Deferred revenue 23.3 22.5
Prepayments and deposits (1.1) (12.6)
Operating lease liabilities (0.1) (0.0)
Net cash from (used in) operating activities 71.6 142.4
Investing activities    
Payments for property, plant and equipment net of hardware (539.7) (180.3)
Payments for computer hardware (179.4) (100.3)
Payments for Intangible Assets (107.6)
Payments for prepayments and deposits (14.1) (0.3)
Deposits paid for right of use assets (10.1)
Net cash from (used in) investing activities (850.9) (280.9)
Financing activities    
Proceeds from the issuance of Ordinary shares 1,632.4 618.4
Payment for induced conversion of convertible notes (1623.5)
Payment of offering costs for the issuance of Ordinary shares (18.5)
Proceeds from loan funded shares 0.1 0.6
Proceeds from exercise of options 6.6
Proceeds from convertible notes 3,299.6
Payment of capped call transactions (252.3)
Payment of borrowing transaction costs (48.8) (0.9)
Repayment of lease liabilities
Net cash from (used in) financing activities 3,007.5 606.1
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 2,228.2 467.6
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the financial year 1,032.3 564.5
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 0.1 0.1
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial year 3,260.6 1,032.3

1)  For further detail, see our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, included in our Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on February 5, 2026.

     
Non-GAAP Metric Reconciliation
Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation
(US$m)
Quarter ended
December 31, 2025
Quarter ended
September 30, 2025
Net income (loss) (155.4) 384.6
Net income (loss) Margin1 (84)% 160%
Income tax expense (benefit) (182.5) 190.7
Income (loss) before tax (337.9) 575.3
Finance expense 10.7 9.3
Interest income (15.8) (7.1)
Depreciation and amortization 99.2 85.2
EBITDA (243.9) 662.7
     
Reconciliation to consolidated statement of operations    
Add/(deduct):    
Unrealized (gain) loss on financial instruments 107.4 (665.0)
Stock-based compensation expense 58.2 72.4
Impairment of assets 31.8 16.3
(Gain) loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment (0.0) 0.0
(Increase) decrease in fair value of assets held for sale 6.4
Debt conversion inducement expense2 111.8
Foreign exchange (gain) loss (1.9) 5.4
Other expense items3 5.5
Adjusted EBITDA 75.3 91.7
Adjusted EBITDA Margin4 41% 38%

1)  Net Income Margin is calculated as Net Income divided by Total Revenue.
2)  Debt conversion inducement expense relating to the induced conversion of a portion of the 2030 Convertible Notes and 2029 Convertible Notes.
3)  Other expenses include a one-time liquidation payment incurred in August 2024 resulting from the transition to spot pricing at the Group’s site at Childress, the reversal of the unrealized loss recorded on fixed price contracted amounts outstanding at June 30, 2024, a litigation related settlement provision, loss on theft of mining hardware in transit, one-off professional fees incurred in relation to litigation matters, and transaction costs incurred on entering the capped call transactions in conjunction with the issuance of the convertible notes.
4)  Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by Total Revenue.

– Published by The MIL Network

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/nz-au-iren-reports-q2-fy26-results/

GMA Capital Partners Joins Hong Kong’s Business Environment Council

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 February 2026 – GMA Capital Partners has joined the Business Environment Council (BEC), reflecting the firm’s engagement with Hong Kong’s business and sustainability ecosystem and its interest in constructive dialogue on environmental and policy developments affecting the real economy.

Headquartered in Singapore, GMA Capital Partners is a principal investment firm focused on long-term investments, structured capital solutions, and cross-border partnerships across real-economy sectors, including infrastructure, energy transition, logistics, and strategic industrial markets. Membership in BEC provides a platform for engagement with corporates, policymakers, and industry participants on environmental considerations relevant to business operations and long-term asset resilience in Hong Kong and the region.

Established in 1992, BEC is an independent, business-led organisation that promotes environmental excellence through policy advocacy, thought leadership, and knowledge sharing. Its membership comprises multinational companies, listed entities, SMEs, startups, and non-governmental organisations across a broad range of industries.

Chasen Nevett, Managing Partner of GMA Capital Partners, said:

“Joining the Business Environment Council provides a constructive platform to engage with Hong Kong’s business community on practical environmental and sustainability considerations. Our focus remains on disciplined capital allocation into real-economy assets, where regulatory context, governance, and long-term environmental factors increasingly shape commercial outcomes.”

GMA Capital Partners’ approach to sustainability emphasises commercial discipline, transparency, and the consideration of transition-related risks and opportunities relevant to long-term asset performance. The firm looks forward to engaging with BEC initiatives and contributing to dialogue on environmental policy and sustainable business practices in Hong Kong and across the region.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/09/gma-capital-partners-joins-hong-kongs-business-environment-council/