News

Paris – September 18, 2026 -- Intellian Technologies Inc. and Network Innovations have signed a strategic partnership to jointly develop and distribute what they describe as the world's first tactical ground terminal capable of simultaneous Mil-X, Mil Ka-band, and commercial Ka and Ku-band connectivity for military and government customers.

Terminal supports electronic switching across an extended range of Ka-band frequencies

The flyaway platform is built for the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) constellation and is designed for multi-orbit operations spanning LEO, MEO, GEO, and HEO satellites. The deployable systems can be made operational in as little as 30 minutes, targeting expeditionary forces and mission-critical deployments requiring secure, high-capacity communications.

Washington, D.C. – – September 18, 2026 -- Advocates for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) held more than 60 meetings with congressional offices this week, representing patients from over 20 states, as part of The Speak Foundation's LGMD Day on the Hill.

No FDA-approved treatment exists for LGMD despite scientific progress

LGMD is a group of rare genetic diseases causing progressive muscle weakness, and no FDA-approved treatment currently targets the condition. Advocates urged lawmakers to increase federal investment in LGMD research, expand access to Department of Defense research funding, and push for clearer, more consistent regulatory pathways for rare-disease treatments.

Tokyo – September 18, 2026 -- The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund has launched NTDpedia, a digital encyclopedia targeting the awareness gap that keeps neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) underfunded despite affecting 1.5 billion people worldwide.

GHIT Fund targets awareness gap as root cause of NTD underfunding

The platform, titled "NTDpedia: Your Guide to Neglected Tropical Diseases," is designed as an accessible digital resource covering all 21 disease groups recognized by the World Health Organization, including viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections, snakebite envenoming, and noma. Supervised by Prof. Kenji Hirayama of Nagasaki University, the site aims to make complex health issues understandable to a general audience, including students, teachers, companies, and advocates.

Frankfurt – – September 18, 2026 -- CARKU unveiled a sodium-ion jump starter and two new starting batteries at Automechanika Frankfurt 2026, expanding its emergency-starting portfolio for passenger and commercial vehicles.

CARKU's jump starter series generates roughly 30% of company revenue in Europe

Europe ranks among CARKU's key overseas markets, with its jump starter line contributing approximately 30% of total revenue in 2025, according to internal sales data.

JS-617N jump starter starts vehicles at temperatures as low as -40°C

The 12V/24V JS-617N combines automatic voltage recognition with manual-start capability and 10 integrated protection functions covering electrical, thermal, and software safeguards. Internal testing showed the unit successfully starting vehicles at -40°C, according to the company.

Brussels – September 18, 2026 -- A global 5% cap on virgin plastics production would cut global household welfare by $128.4 billion, compared with just a $0.5 billion decline under targeted recycling policies achieving the same reduction in plastic leakage, according to a new Oxford Economics study commissioned by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA).

The report, Evaluating Policy Pathways to End Plastic Pollution, is the second phase of Oxford Economics' analysis for ICCA, following its 2024 study Mapping the Plastics Value Chain.

Hong Kong – September 18, 2026 -- ViaBTC, a global multi-cryptocurrency mining pool, has partnered with Mempool to expand access to Bitcoin transaction acceleration services, deploying its mining pool infrastructure to help unconfirmed BTC transactions get processed faster.

ViaBTC has accelerated more than 800,000 BTC transactions since 2016

Bitcoin transactions can stall for extended periods when network congestion rises or fees are set too low. ViaBTC became one of the first providers to launch a Bitcoin transaction accelerator in 2016, offering both free and paid options, and has refined the technology since. As of September 16, 2026, the company has processed acceleration requests for over 800,000 BTC transactions.

Hamilton, Bermuda – September 18, 2026 -- Borr Drilling Limited (NYSE: BORR) (OSE: BORR) confirmed that its jack-up rig Odin began earning dayrate revenue offshore Texas on September 11, 2026, following mobilization in mid-August and completed acceptance testing.

Odin starts dayrate operations offshore Texas after August mobilization

The rig's contract activation marks the completion of a testing phase that followed its move to the U.S. Gulf Coast, giving Borr an active revenue-generating asset in the Americas region.

Idun wins three-well Vietnam campaign lasting an estimated 130 days

An undisclosed operator awarded the Idun a three-well drilling campaign in Vietnam, scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2026 as a direct continuation of the rig's current contract, extending its Southeast Asia workload without a gap in deployment.

Bellevue, Wash. – September 18, 2026 -- Travel Answers has launched BOOK26, a limited-time incentive paying Travel Advisors up to $250 in gift cards per qualifying new booking made by October 31, 2026, for travel commencing by December 31, 2026.

Advisors earn tiered rewards based on booking value

Under BOOK26, Advisors can earn $50, $100 or $250 per qualifying booking, with payouts scaled to the value of the reservation. The tour operator reports more than one-third of current inquiries already concern 2026 travel, driven by demand for last-minute getaways, holiday trips and cruise extensions.

Stony Brook – September 18, 2026 -- ZBeats Inc. has secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance (K261580) for its ZBPro Diagnostic v2.0 software, extending its independent ECG analysis platform to cover recordings ranging from one minute to 14 days.

FDA clearance broadens device compatibility to Holter monitors and wearable patches

The updated clearance allows ZBPro to process data from a wider range of recording technologies, including Holter configurations and wearable patch devices, positioning the software as a device-agnostic layer for cardiac diagnostics providers.

Washington – September 18, 2026 -- The Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA) has named 21 leaders as recipients of its 2026 IPA Awards, recognizing executives from firms including Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Blackstone for their contributions to the alternative investments sector.

IPA honors 21 executives across five award categories at Atlanta conference

The awards were presented during IPAVision in Atlanta before more than 550 professionals representing asset management, wealth management and the broader alternatives ecosystem. Honorees were selected across five categories: Outstanding Service, Policy Leadership, Rising Voice, Emerging Champion and Lifetime Achievement.