Asia / Middle East

Los Angeles – September 20, 2026 -- Digital IP entertainment company IPX has launched the third MIGHTEEZ collection, a character line created with K-pop group ATEEZ, exclusively through LINE FRIENDS SQUARE US Online starting September 18.

MIGHTEEZ characters transform into rockstars alongside ATEEZ

The 'MIGHTEEZ Rock The Stage POP-UP' reimagines the superpowered fairy characters as they prepare for a rockstar debut, mirroring ATEEZ's own on-stage transformation. ATEEZ members took part in an exclusive photoshoot built around the 'Rock The Stage' concept, linking the artists directly to their animated counterparts.

The release follows ATEEZ's 14th EP reaching number one on the US Billboard 200.

Dubai – September 17, 2026 -- Gorenje has launched the G600 dishwasher in the UAE and wider Middle East, an appliance the company says uses 10 percent less energy than the A-class industry standard while delivering full cleaning performance.

Smart Dosing cuts refills to once a month

The G600's Smart Dosing feature lets households fill the detergent container once and run up to 20 wash cycles, roughly a month of use, without refilling. The system automatically dispenses the precise detergent amount for each selected programme, aiming to reduce waste.

An optional UV light targets 99.99 percent of bacteria

An optional UV Light Function claims to eliminate 99.99 percent of bacteria and viruses, even during lower-temperature cycles such as Eco at 55°C. The machine offers six programmes: Eco, Auto, Intensive, Daily, Night, and Hygiene.

San Francisco – September 15, 2026 -- Licensed marriage and family therapist Manami Yamamoto has announced a new book, 'Truly Be Well: Nurturing True Wellness from Within,' currently in development, built around a framework she calls Inner Nurturing.

The global wellness industry has crossed $6.8 trillion, yet stress and disconnection persist

Yamamoto points to that gap as the reason she developed her framework. She argues that most wellness products and mental health campaigns focus on symptom relief rather than building lasting inner capacity.

Singapore – September 11, 2026 -- Voiskey has released a new Keyboard Input feature for its AI voice typing app on iOS and Android, combining manual typing with voice recognition in a single tool.

The update merges typing and voice into one workflow

The company calls it the first all-in-one solution covering "Speak, Polish, Type, and Edit" in the AI voice-typing space. Users can now switch between speaking and typing without leaving the app, letting them manually enter specialized terms, acronyms, or rare proper nouns that voice recognition might miss.

Manual corrections are saved to each user's personalized dictionary, which Voiskey says improves the app's speech recognition accuracy over time with continued use.

Singapore – September 11, 2026 -- Trip.Gourmet, the food and dining brand of Trip.com Group, has released its 2027 Fine Dining List, recognising 744 restaurants across 105 cities and 40 countries and regions to mark the brand's tenth anniversary. The list was unveiled in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, gathering restaurant partners, culinary experts and media for the launch.

The rankings split restaurants into three tiers: 60 Black Diamond, the top distinction, 160 Diamond and 524 Platinum. This year adds 34 new destinations across Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia, South America and Africa, growing the list from a single-market ranking a decade ago into an index now spanning 66 countries and regions and 462 destinations overall.

Mainz – September 09, 2026 -- A new ZDF documentary examines how the global matcha craze is driving up prices, causing supply shortages, and fueling a market flooded with fake products. "Matcha – Genuss mit Beigeschmack" ("Matcha – A Bitter Aftertaste") streams on the ZDF platform starting Friday, September 11, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., and airs on ZDF television Sunday, October 13, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

Reporter Victoria Reichelt travels to Japan for the film, directed by Laura Hohmann, to trace matcha from tea field to social media feed.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- JMGO has debuted its IRIS Series at IFA 2026, calling it the world's first smart projector line capable of 4K resolution at 120Hz, with brightness reaching up to 6,500 ISO lumens and a native contrast ratio of 10,000:1.

The lineup is led by the flagship JMGO IRIS Ultra Max, with the JMGO IRIS Ultra offering the same core technology at a lower price point.

JMGO already sold more than 5,000 units in China before the global launch

JMGO first launched its 4K@120Hz projector in China in May. The company says it sold over 5,000 units within three months, prompting the decision to bring the technology to global markets under the IRIS branding.

Singapore – September 07, 2026 -- Travel booking platform Trip.com reports that custom tour bookings surged over 600% year-on-year globally, as travelers increasingly seek fully tailored itineraries over standard packages.

The company's data shows global searches for first and business class flights climbed 99% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, while 5-star hotel searches rose 57% over the same period. The strongest demand for custom tours is coming from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Singapore.

Concerts and live events are driving cross-border bookings

According to Trip.com Group data, 63% of Asia Pacific travelers have already crossed borders to attend a concert, and 66% say they would be willing to do so. In response, the company launched packages bundling concert tickets, accommodation, transport and local attractions, which saw triple-digit growth in 2025.

ZIBO, China -- August 30, 2026 -- INTCO Medical, the Chinese manufacturer that supplies disposable gloves to hospitals, restaurants and households worldwide, reported first-half 2026 revenue of RMB 6.91 billion (about $1.03 billion), a 40.61% jump from a year earlier. The company, listed as 300677.SZ, said net profit attributable to shareholders climbed 17.86% to RMB 837.3 million (about $124.6 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2026. INTCO Medical also confirmed its annual production capacity has reached 107 billion gloves, a scale the company said makes it the world's largest disposable glove producer.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – June 24, 2025 – Formula E returned to Sanya, China for the first time in seven years, and the Citroën Racing Formula E Team had one of those days that reminds everyone why electric street racing is impossible to predict. Round 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship played out around the Haitang Bay circuit under intense heat, featuring a mid-race red flag, two Full Course Yellow periods, and enough position shuffling to keep fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Jean-Éric Vergne worked his way from thirteenth to eighth to claim four championship points, while Nick Cassidy — who briefly led the race — was ultimately unclassified after a string of incidents derailed what had been a genuinely strong afternoon.